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ANNIE      C     NELbON 


Vol.  XVI  FEBRUARY,  1913  No.  4 


ORGAN  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD    QUORUMS 
THE  YOUNG  MENS  MUTUAL    IMPROVEMENT 
ASSOCIATIONS.ANDTHE    5CHOOBS      OF  THE 
CHURCH-  OF  JE.5US  CHRIST  OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS. 

PUBLISHED  MONTHLY  BY  THE 
GENERAL  BOARD  AT  SALT  LAKE    CITY,  UTAH. 


I 


BEFORE  THE  SMOKE 
CLEARS  AWAY 

On  your  fire-stricken  shop,  factory, 
office  or  store,  you  can  resume  busi- 
ness if  insured  with.  us.  No  long 
unnecessary  delays  in  adjusting1,  no 
haggling  over  terms;  but  prompt  pay- 
ment of  losses  every  time.  It's  to  our 
interest  to  get  you  set  up  in  business 
again — we  can  Insure  you  again. 

HOME  FIRE  INSURANCE  COMPANY  OF  UTAH 

Heber  J.  Grant  &  Go.  K* 

20-26  So.  Main  St.         Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


BOTH  PHONES  351 

Jos,  Wm.  Taylor 

Utah's  Leading  Undertaker 
and  Licensed  Embalmer. 

Fine  Funeral  Chapel,    Private 
Parlor,  Show  Rooms  and  Morgue 

OFPICE  OPEN  DAY  AND  NIGHT 

31, 23  and  25  South  West  Temple  St. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 


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they  give  splendid  satisfaction. 
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Wyoming  or    Summit  Shoes  for  the  man 
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shoes.     School  shoes  for  Boys. 


"MOUNTAINERR"orTHE  LEADER    NEVER 
Rl°"  Overalls  are  honestly  made.  Ask  for  them. 


WHBH   WHITWQ  T9  4DVBKT1SERS,   PLEASE  MENTION   THE   "ERA' 


I'll  Trust  in  Him  Who  Rules  on  High 


Words  and  Music  by  R.  Michelsen 


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I'll  trust 
I'll  trust 
I'll  trust 


in  Him  who  rules  on 
in  Him  whose  pow'r  and 
in    Him,  what-e'er        be 


higb,  Re- 
love,  Were 
falls,  Nor 


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deem  -  er,     Lord      of  Hosts,  To  mark    the  way      my 

voiced  through  deep  -  est  woes;"Thy  will,     0    God,     not 

fear,  though  storms  oppose,  Come  fol  -  low    me,      He 


fr>f-7T'f    PlH^^r^^ 


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1 


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THE  LATTER-DAY   SAINTS'   CHAPEL  AT   SUNDERLAND,   ENGLAND 

Here  the  Latter-day  Saints  taught  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  and  served  the 
Lord.  Owing  to  prejudice,  created  in  the  minds  of  the  people  from  hearing  false  and 
defamatory  reports  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  a  recent  mob,  numbering  thousands, 
ignorant  of  what  they  did,  let  us  hope,  broke  every  window  in  the  building;  some  went 
into  the  auditorium  shown  in  the  lower  picture,  stood  upon  the  pulpit  swearing,  upset 
chairs,  turned  the  stove  over,  and  released  into  a  crowded  room  foul-smelling  fumes. 
The  elders  standing  back  of  the  pulpit  are  A.  G.  Brain,  Joseph  Parmley,  R.  Belknap, 
President  Lichfield,  Prof.  J.  J.  McClellan,  E.  Stevenson  Wilcox,  Master  Douglas  Mc- 
Clellan, E.  J.  Meed  and  W.  Simpson.  In  the  upper  picture  the  same  group  are  shown 
in  front  of  the  chapel.  Anti-"Mormon"  posters  on  the  building  to  the  left,  people 
"peeking"  through  the  curtains  in  adjoining  buildings,  and  the  giggling  boy  on  the 
right,  show  the  spirit  of  the  place.  Should  the  mob  come  to  Utah,  singly  or  in  com- 
pany, the  Saints  would  gladly  show  them  every  courtesy,  and  with  this  same  McClellan 
at  the  organ,  give  them  an  unexcelled  musical  entertainment,  and  convince  them  that 
Latter-day  Saints  are  among  the  purest,  most  cleanly,  virtuous,  intelligent,  and  broad 
minded  people  in  all  the  world.     The  citizens  of  Sunderland  need  enlightenment. 


Improvement  Era 


Vol.  XVI  FEBRUARY,   1913  No.  4 


The  Conquest  of  Drouth 


BY    JOHN    A.    WIDTSOE,    A.    M.,    PH.    D.,    PRESIDENT    OF    THE    AGRI- 
CULTURAL  COLLEGE  OF   UTAH,   AND  OF  THE   INTER- 
NATIONAL DRY-FARMING  CONGRESS,  1912* 


The  Dry-Farming  Congress,  which  was  organized  in  Den- 
ver, Colorado,  nearly  six  years  ago,  was  no  doubt  at  first  intended 
to  meet  the  needs- of  the  western  United  States;  but,  almost  from 
the  moment  of  its  inception,  its  world-mission  began  to  be  under- 
stood. Within  a  year  after  the  first  session  it  had  assumed  a 
national  character,  and  within  two  years  it  was  truly  an  organ- 
ization of  international  interest. 

Since  the  organization  of  this  Congress,  dry-farming  has 
become  a  household  word  in  almost  every  corner  of  the  earth. 
To  the  six  sessions,  already  held,  practically  all  the  great  nations 
have  sent  delegates-,  and  upon  the  platform  of  this,  the  seventh 
session,  sit  accredited  delegates  from  half  a  score  of  countries. 
From  Australia  to  the  United  States,  by  way  of  South  Africa, 
North  Africa,  Hungary,  is  a  series  of  auxiliary  dry-farming  con- 
gresses. The  correspondence  of  the  Congress  is  in  all  the  civilized 
tongues  of  the  earth ;  and  the  meagre  literature  of  the  subject  is 
being  translated  into  the  half-dozen  leading  languages  of  man. 
Moreover,  so  far  as  I  know,  this  session  of  the  Congress  is  unique 
in  that  it  is  the  first  time  that  a  purely  agricultural  organization 
without  governmental  support,  has  gone  beyond  the  country  of  its 
birth. 

This  remarkable  history  of  the  Dry-Farming  Congress  cer- 
tainly indicates  that  the  problems  of  dry-farming  are  of  living, 
world-wide  interest.  I  shall,  therefore,  take  the  liberty  of  devot- 
ing the  time  allotted  me,  to  the  definition  of  the  purpose  and  prob- 
lems of  the  dry-farming  propaganda. 


*The  president's  opening  address,  delivered  at  Lethbridge,  Canada, 
session  1912. 


282  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

Purpose  of  the  Dry-Farming  Propaganda 

There  would  be  no.  dry-farming  if  plants  were  not  large  con- 
sumers of  water,  or  if  all  parts  of  the  earth  received  a  sufficient 
and  regularly-distributed  supply  of  rain.  The  fact  is  that  plants 
use  in  their  growth  immense  quantities  of  water,  and  the  rainfall 
of  the  earth  is  distributed  very  unequally,  both  as  to  the  total 
quantity,  and  the  time  of  the  year  during  which  it  falls. 

The  question  of  rainfall  is  the  pre-eminent  one  in  dry-farm- 
ing, since  some  parts  of  the  earth  receive  an  excessively  large 
annual  precipitation,  far  beyond  the  needs  of  crops,  while  others 
receive  much  less  than  is  necessary  under  ordinary  methods  of 
tillage  for  crop  production.  Moreover,  in  some  places  the  rain 
comes  chiefly  in  winter;  in  others  in  summer,  and  in  yet  other 
places  during  the  spring  and  fall.  In  only  a  few  localities  is  the 
rainfall  distributed  equally  over  the  year.  To  further  compli- 
cate the  problem,  the  annual  rainfall  in  a  given  localitv  is  not  the 
same  from  year  to  year ;  for,  as  is  well  known,  a  tolerably  wet 
year  may  be  followed  by  a  dry  year,  or  vice  versa.  The  agricul- 
tural control  of  the  water  that  falls  from  the  heavens,  in  spite  of 
varying  seasons,  and  the  use  of  even  a  limited  supply  for  crop 
production,  are  the  problems  of  the  dry-farmer,  and  justify  the 
existence  of  dry-farming  as  a  science. 

It  must  be  said  that  while  the  total  annual  rainfall  varies 
somewhat  in  any  one  place,  from  year  to  year,  the  variations  are 
small  and  remain  the  same  from  generation  to  generation.  The 
pioneers  of  a  new  land  generally  believe  that  the  climate  changes 
as  settlement  progresses,  but  exact  records  do  not  bear  out  this 
view.  True,  only  about  150  years  of  records,  with  modern  instru- 
ments, are  at  hand,  yet  during  that  period  there  has  been  no  per- 
ceptible change  of  average  climatic  conditions  anywhere  on  earth. 
The  recorded  history  of  the  world  bears  out  this  view.  For  in- 
stance, the  study  of  the  history  of  the  vineyards  of  southern 
France  lead  to  the  belief  that  during  the  last  500  years  there  has 
been  no  change  in  the  climate  of  France,  whether  temperature  or 
rainfall  is  considered.  Likewise,  the  study  of  the  production  of 
date  palms  in  the  Orient  has  established  with  considerable  cer- 
tainty that  since  the  fourth  century  B.  C,  or  during  twenty-three 
centuries,  in  the  date  palm  regions,  there  has  been  no  appreciable 
climatic  change.  From  generation  to  generation,  the  average  cli- 
mate, the  world  over,  has  been  constant,  and  no  doubt  will  remain 
so  for  ages  to  come. 

The  only  real  climatic  changes  have  been  fluctuations  from 
year  to  year,  for  climate,  like  a  pendulum,  swings  with  a  some- 
what irregular  motion  from  one  extreme  to  another.  A  dry  year, 
the  driest  in  a  series  of  years,  is  followed  by  wetter  years  until 
the  wettest  is  reached;  then  there  is  a  gradual  irregular  return 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  DROUTH  283 

to  the  dry  condition  ;  and  the  process  is  again  repeated.  Usually 
the  cycle  is  short,  from  eleven  to  thirty-five  years.  The  average 
difference  between  the  coldest  and  the  warmest  years  of  such  a 
climatic  priod  is  small — seldom  more  than  two  degrees  F.  in  tem- 
perature ;  and  the  rainfall  of  the  driest  year  is,  on  the  average, 
only  from  one-eighth  to  one-fourth  less  than  the  rainfall  of  the 
wettest  year.  That  is  to  say,  in  the  driest  year  much  rain  falls,  but 
ordinarily  out  of  the  growing  season.  Moreover,  the  driest  year 
does  not  cover  the  earth  at  the  same  time.  It  is  invariably  local, 
and  may  occur  in  one  place,  at  the  same  time  that  the  wettest  year 
occurs  some  other  place.  These  variations  are  really  so  small 
that  with  improved  methods  of  tillage  they  should  interfere  little 
with  the  progress  of  agriculture,  yet  they  have  been  the  cause  of 
much  human  suffering,  for  the  driest  year  in  a  short  cycle  of  cli- 
matic change  is  the  feared  year  of  drouth. 

The  Deadly  Drouth 

The  pages  of  history  are  crowded  with  the  records  of  the  dis- 
asters caused  by  the  occasional  deficiency  of  rainfall,  the  so-called 
drouth,  representing  the  dry  years  in  the  cycle  of  climatic  change. 
The  Bible,  which  represents  a  very  early  period  of  man's  history, 
abounds  with  references  to  drouth.  The  very  beginning  of  the 
Hebrew  nation  is  definitely  connected  with  the  great  drouth  which 
came  over  the  countries  adjoining  Egypt,  and  which  forced  the 
people  of  these  surrounding  lands  to  come  to  this  granary  of  na- 
tions for  food.  Even  in  Egypt  itself,  as  will  be  remembered,  the 
drouth  raged  for  seven  years,  and  had  not  Joseph  saved  the 
grain  of  the  preceding  fruitful  years,  not  only  the  surrounding  na- 
tions, but  Egypt  herself  would  have  suffered.  Later,  when  Israel 
entered  into  the  promised  land,  their  God  took  occasion  to  warn 
them  that  although  it  was  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey, 
if  his  law  were  not  observed,  drouths  would  overtake  them  and 
famine  would  destroy  them.  The  early  Assyrian  code  of  laws, 
recently  unearthed,  declare,  with  the  same  fear  of  drouth,  that 
when  drouth  settles  upon  the  land  the  farmer  who  tills  rented 
land  shall  be  free  from  obligations  to  the  owner  of  the  land,  for 
God  has  willed  this  irresistible  evil  upon  the  land. 

The  literature  of  all  ages,  whether  of  prophet,  poet,  or  the 
teller  of  tales,  abounds  in  reference  to  the  terrible  danger  of 
drouth.  You  will  remember  that  even  in  the  fables  of  yEsop  the 
fox  who  fell  into  a  deep  well  said  to  the  goat  who  was  passing  by, 
and  who  inquired  what  the  fox  was  doing  clown  in  the  well, 
"Have  you  not  heard  that  there  is  going  to  be  a  great  drouth.  I 
jumped  down  here  to  be  sure  to  have  water  by  me  ;  why  don't  you 
come,  too,"  upon  which  the  goat  jumped  down,  in  great  terror  of 


284  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

the  coming  drouth,  and  the  fox,  jumping  on  her  back,  was  able 
to  get  out  of  the  well. 

The  year  of  drouth,  the  driest  year  in  the  cycle  of  climatic 
change,  with  its  crop  failures,  stalks  through  the  ages,  past  and 
present,  as  the  supreme  enemy  of  agriculture,  and  therefore  of 
mankind.  Drouth  has  been  looked  upon  as  a  providence  of  God, 
which  mortal  men  could  only  accept  and  die.  In  the  trail  of 
drouth,  and  following  it  closely,  have  always  been  its  deadly 
brood:  hunger,  famine,  pestilence  and  all  manner  of  human  dis- 
tress. History,  in  its  patient  recording  of  famines,  has  indirectly 
given,  often  with  minute  exactness,  the  progress  of  drouth;  and 
the  burden  Of  the  story  is  that  if  war  and  disease  have  killed  their 
thousands,  drouth  has  destroyed  its  tens  of  thousands.  In  view 
of  the  mission  of  dry-farming,  it  may  be  well  to  review,  for  a 
moment  or  two,  the  fearful  effects  of  a  few  historical  drouths. 

The  famines  of  India  have  been  recorded  with  terrible  fidel- 
ity. The  known  drouths  in  this  poor  country  run  into  great  num- 
bers, but  a  few  of  the  great,  outstanding  ones  will  show  their 
awful  results.  In  941  A.  D.  there  was  a  famine  of  such  terrible 
degree  that  cannibalism  was  permitted,  and  men  ate  their  fellows, 
so  that  some  might  live.  In  the  following  seven  centuries  there 
was  a  rapid  succession  of  drouths  and  famines,  averaging  above 
ten  years  per  century.  In  1344  the  drouth  was  so  intense  that 
even  the  emperor  had  difficulty  in  securing  food  for  himself  and 
his  immediate  family.  In  1769,  in  one  of  the  great  provinces,  one- 
third  of  the  population,  or  10,000,000  souls,  died  from  hunger. 
In  1790,  the  famine  was.  so  fearful  that  the  dead  could  not  be 
counted,  much  less  buried,  and  were  left  in  the  fields  and  on  the 
roads  as  they  fell ;  in  1838,  in  one  province  alone,  800,000  persons 
perished  from  hunger;  in  1861,  the  whole  of  northwest  India  was 
scourged  by  drouth-famine ;  in  1869,  one  and  one-half  million  per- 
sons died  of  famine ;  in  1876  to  1878  five  million  persons  died  of 
famine,  and  we  all  remember  the  drouth  of  1899-1901,  in  India, 
when  one  million  persons  died.  That  is,  in  132  years  of  the  most 
enlightened  age  of  the  world,  five  drouths  in  India  caused  the 
death  of  nearly  nineteen  million  human  beings,  not  to  say  any- 
thing of  the  many  minor  famines.  This  appalling  story  makes 
one  feel  that  the  greatest  problem  of  India  is  the  conquest  of 
drouth. 

While  drouths  have  been  recorded  more  completely  in  India 
than  possibly  in  any  other  country,  it  does  not  follow  that  drouth- 
famines  have  not  covered  other  lands.  China  has  not  yet  opened 
her  records,  but  we  know  that  in  recent  times  fearful  drouths 
have  devastated  the  Chines  nation.  In  1877-78  a  famine  occurred 
from  which  nine  and  one-half  million  persons  perished;  and  in 
1887-1889  another  fearful  drouth  occurred  in  China.     In  the  year 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  DROUTH  285 

436  B.  C.  the  famine  resulting-  from  drouth  in  Rome  was  so  in- 
tense that  thousands  of  people  threw  themselves  into  the  Tiber 
rather  than  to  face  the  agony  of  starvation.  In  Egypt  a  great 
drouth  occurred  32  B.  C,  and  in  1064  A.  D.  another  seven  years' 
famine  rested  upon  that  country ;  other  smaller  drouths  have  since 
occurred  in  Egypt.  Europe,  from  which  most  of  us  here  have 
been  derived,  has  been  scourged  by  drouth  from  the  very  begin- 
ning of  its  occupation.  There  are  recorded  drouths  of  fearful 
magnitude  in  879,  1016,  1162,  and  scores  of  drouths  since  the  lat- 
ter date.  Russia,  in  recent  days,  has  been  subjected  to  several 
great  drouths,  among  them  one  in  1891  and  another  in  1905,  both 
of  which  caused  large  losses  of  life.  In  Germany  the  drouth  of 
1125  was  so  complete  that  one-half  of  the  population  died;  in 
1817  there  was  another  great  drouth,  and  as  is  well  known,  during 
the  last  two  summers,  Germany,  especially  in  the  northeastern 
part,  has  suffered  seriously  from  a  deficient  rainfall.  In  Hungary, 
the  drouth  of  1505  was  so  intense  that  parents  ate  their  children 
to  save  their  own  lives.  England,  which  is  supposed  to  be  drouth- 
free,  has  had  its  share  of  recorded  drouths,  some  of  which  have 
been  national  disasters. 

Great  famines,  with  their  consequent  loss  of  life,  that  have 
accompanied  drouth,  are  not  likely  to  recur  as  frequently  as  in 
the  past,  for  modern  methods  of  communication  by  rail  and  water 
will  enable  the  countries  of  good  seasons  (and  droutns  are  always 
local)  to  supply  the  drouth-ridden  countries  with  the  necessary 
food.  Nevertheless,  though  human  life  be  not  lost,  great  econ- 
omic losses  occur  whenever  crops  are  destroyed  by  drouth,  and 
the  loss  in  wealth  retards,  greatly,  the  progress  of  the  people.  It 
would  be  folly  to  attempt  to  estimate  the  gigantic  losses  that  have 
been  occasioned  by  drouths. 

Man  the  Master 

I  have  dwelt  so  long  upon  this  matter,  for  it  is  one  of  the 
great  problems  of  mankind  that  must  be  solved  by  an  advancing 
civilization.  With  the  historical  record  of  recurring  local  drouths 
before  us,  and  with  the  certainty  of  a  practical  permanency  of 
climate,  which  means  that  the  dry  year  is  sure  to  recur,  it  is  incon- 
ceivable that  modern  man  will  submit  to  the  losses  and  distresses 
caused  by  drouths.  Rather,  he  will  rise  in  the  might  of  the  ac- 
cumulated knowledge  of  the  ages,  and  forever  banish  the  years  of 
drouth  from  the  knowledge  of  man. 

How  may  it  be  done  ?  Naturally,  by  the  proper  conservation 
of  moisture  in  the  soil  so  that  crops  can  pass  through  a  rainless 
season  without  hurt.  The  rainfall  even  in  the  year  of  drouth, 
is  usually  large  enough  to  produce  fair  crops,  but  it  comes  before 


286  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

the  growing  season,  and  falls  on  lands  depleted  of  moisture.  The 
soils  must  be  so  tilled  that  moisture  is  carried  over  in  them,  from 
year  to  year,  and  that  the  rainfall,  whenever  it  comes,  may  be 
absorbed  by  the  soil  and  there  held  until  needed  by  plants.  That 
is  dry-farming  pure  and  simple.  To  dry-farming,  then,  is  com- 
mitted the  task  of  so  enlightening  the  world  that  drouths,  here- 
after, will  be  due  either  to  ignorance  or  to  indifference.  This, 
the  conquest  of  drouth  in  humid  and  sub-humid  regions,  must  be 
hereafter  one  of  the  main  concerns  of  dry-farming.  And,  let  it 
not  be  forgotten  that  if  dry-farming  methods  are  applied  to  humid 
and  sub-humid  regions  to  prevent  crop  failure  from  drouths,  the 
yields  during  normal  years  will  thereby  also  be  greatly  increased. 
Aside  from  any  protection  against  drouth,  the  methods  of  dry- 
farming  might  well  be  adopted  by  the  occupied  parts  of  the  earth, 
because  of  the  increased  crop  yields  that  would  result,  every  year. 

The  other  and  original  problem  of  dry-farming  is  the  exten- 
sion of  the  area  now  occupied  by  man,  by  devising  methods 
whereby  la  ids  that  receive  little  rainfall,  lands  that  may  be  said 
to  be  in  a  tate  of  permanent  drouth,  may  be  made  to  produce 
profitable  t.  "ops  also.  The  present  occupied  agricultural  areas 
of  the  woi!  I  receive  an  annual  rainfall  of  twenty  inches  and  up- 
ward. The  areas  that  receive  less  than  twenty  inches  of  rain 
annually,  the  arid  and  semi-arid  areas,  have  been  until  recently 
untouched  by  the  plow  and  in  fact  have  been  denominated  "des- 
erts." In  fact,  over  many  of  them  the  average  rainfall  is  smaller 
than  during  the  fearful  year  of  drouth  in  humid  regions,  before 
which  the  nations  have  bowed  these  many  centuries.  These  so- 
called  deserts  cover  more  than  one-half,  nearly  sixt-tenths,  of 
the  entire  land  surface  of  the  earth,  and  offer  an  opportunity  of 
conquest  unequaled  in  any  other  domain.  Until  recent  years  the 
best  use  made  of  this  vast  area  of  land  was  for  the  support  of 
herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  that  grazed  upon  the  scant  natural  herb- 
age for  a  few  months  in  the  year.  Five  to  ten  acres  were  often 
held  to  be  barely  enough  for  the  sustenance  of  one  sheep,  and 
often  one  hundred  acres  were  required  for  a  steer ! 

In  the  minds  of  the  few  who  dreamed  of  the  conquest  of 
this  measureless  "desert,"  the  ancient  art  of  irrigation  seemed  to 
be  the  only  method  of  reclamation.  In  fact,  the  certainty  of  splen- 
did crops  tinder  irrigation  is  unsurpassed,  and  when  irrigation 
water  is  placed  upon  the  rich,  arid  land,  a  productive  garden 
results.  However,  irrigation  will  always  be  of  limited  applica- 
tion. In  arid  and  semi-arid  regions,  land  is  plentiful,  and  flowing 
water  is  scarce.  When  all  the  waters  of  the  arid  regions  shall  be 
properly  stored,  and  led  to  the  farms  at  the  proper  season,  prob- 
ablv  not  more  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  available  arid  lands  will  be 
under  irrigation.     The  larger  the  area  over  which  the  irrigation 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  DROUTH  287 

waters  may  be  profitably  spread  tbe  more  successful  will  the  ir- 
rigation project  be.  In  this  matter,  also,  dry-farming  is  destined 
to  take  a  leading  part. 

Irrigation  Not  a  Primary  Art 

Contrary  to  the  popular  idea,  irrigation  is  not  a  primary  art ; 
at  its  best  it  is  only  supplementary  to  the  natural  rainfall.  The 
more  water  that  falls  upon  the  land,  the  smaller  the  quantity  of 
water  that  needs  to  be  applied  in  irrigation.  By  the  same  token, 
the  more  thoroughly  the  rainfall  is  stored  in  the  soil,  the  less  ir- 
rigation water  is  needed.  The  beginning  of  irrigation  wisdom  is 
the  conservation  of  the  natural  precipitation.  The  high  value  of 
applying  dry-farm  methods  under  irrigation  has  been  well  dem- 
onstrated in  a  series  of  experiments  recently  reported  from  the 
Utah  Agricultural  Experiment  Station.  It  was  there  shown  that 
the  part  of  a  full  crop,  raised  under  irrigation,  due  to  the  rainfall 
stored  in  the  soil,  in  the  case  of  wheat  and  oats,  was  approxi- 
mately eighty-five  per  cent  of  the  total  yield  ;  of  lucern  about  sev- 
enty-eight per  cent,  and  of  potatoes  about  sixty-eight  per  cent. 
That  is,  from  two-thirds  to  five-sixths  of  the  crops  obtained  on 
irrigated  fields  were  in  reality  due  to  the  natural  precipitation 
carefully  stored  in  the  soil  by  the  methods  of  dry-farming.  The 
irrigation  water  saved  by  the  proper  storage  in  the  soil  of  the 
rainfall,  may  be  used  in  reclaiming  other  land,  and  thus,  the  ir- 
rigated area  may  be  extended  greatly  by  the  application  of  dry- 
farming  methods. 

As  already  said,  however,  a  perfected  world-system  of  irri- 
gation will  probably  reclaim  not  more  than  one-tenth  of  the  un- 
occupied portions  of  the  earth ;  before  dry-farming,  unassisted, 
lies  the  greater  task  of  making  the  remaining  nine-tenths,  or  more 
than  one-half  of  the  earth's  surface,  blossom  and  bear  fruit  for 
man.  The  area  that  formerly  supported  one  sheep  must  be  made 
to  feed  a  family  of  men  and  women.  This  is  the  original  problem 
of  dry-farming,  and  in  the  end  the  largest  one.  Could  we  stop 
here  and  discuss  the  question  of  the  food  supply  of  the  world,  the 
ftill  importance  of  the  reclamation  of  the  dry-farming  areas  of 
the  world,  would  loom  large  in  the  economic  salvation  of  man- 
kind. With  increasing  population  and  expanding  needs,  the  arid 
regions  will  be  the  safety  valve  of  the  engine  of  civilization. 

The  Mission  of  Dry-Farming 

The  misison  of  dry-farming  is,  then,  of  a  three-fold  nature. 
First,  it  must  eliminate  the  drouths  that  from  time  immemorial 
have  plagued  the  farmers  of  somewhat  humid  countries  ;  and  also 


288  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

increase  the  normal  crop  yields  of  such  countries  by  a  better  utili- 
zation of  the  rainfall.  Second,  by  teaching  the  proper  methods  of 
storing  the  natural  rainfall  and  conserving  the  soil  moisture,  irri- 
gation water  must  be  made  to  cover  larger  areas  of  arid  lands,  and 
thus  the  irrigated  area  may  be  largely  extended,  and  third,  it  must 
reclaim  by  correct  methods  of  soil  tillage  and  every  other  means, 
the  largest  possible  part  of  the  unirrigated  half  of  the  earth  which 
is  under  a  low  rainfall.  This  is  a  vast  program  of  ambitious  pur- 
pose which  of  necessity  must  be  carried  out  by  dry-farming,  as 
that  branch  of  agriculture  which  concerns  itself  directly  with  the 
utilization  for  the  production  of  crops  of  the  water  that  falls  from 
the  heavens.  To  accomplish  this  purpose,  dry-farming  must  be 
dove-tailed  into  all  other  agricultural  practices. 

It  may  be  asked  in  all  candor  if,  indeed,  any  part  of  this 
program  has  been  carried  out,  or  if  this  is  all  only  a  dream  that 
may  never  be  realized.  It  is  a  joy  to  be  able  to  answer  that, 
already,  the  accomplishments  of  dry-farming  are  far  beyond  the 
reasonable  hopes  of  its  disciples.  Dry-farming  has  "made  good," 
and,  from  its  practical  results,  holds  out  the  promise  that  the  day 
of  triumph  over  drouth,  whether  in  humid  or  in  arid  regions,  is 
at  hand. 

In  the  United  States,  over  fifty  years  ago,  adventurous  spirits 
tried  out,  and  with  success,  the  possibility  of  reclaiming  the  desert 
without  irrigation.  In  Utah,  California,  Washington,  and  even 
in  western  Canada,  independent  beginnings  of  dry-farming  were 
successfully  made,  one  to  two  generations  ago,  on  lands  that  re- 
ceive annually  from  eight  to  fourteen  inches  of  rainfall.  In  the 
Great  Plains  area,  which  still  presents  very  difficult  dry-farm 
problems,  thousands  of  men  have  grown  crops  successfully  and 
profitably  for  a  generation  or  more.  In  the  western  United  States 
dry-farming  is  a  firmly  established  system  of  profitable  farming, 
and  it  is  spreading  with  lightning  rapidity.  The  Australian  dry- 
farming  conferences  have  shown  that  in  their  great  continent  dur- 
ing the  last  thirty  or  more  years,  numerous  farmers  have  prac- 
ticed dry-farming  successfully  on  lands  under  a  very  low  annual 
rainfall.  In  various  parts  of  the  drier  sections  of  Europe  the  same 
is  true.  . 

At  last,  and  as  it  were  in  confirmation  of  the  claims  for  dry- 
farming,  come  now  claims  from  southern  Europe,  from  northern 
Africa  and  from  a  dozen  places  in  Asia,  that  the  practice  of  dry- 
farming  was  extensively  successful  there  some  thousands  of  years 
ago,  and  that  we  of  this  day  are  simply  restoring  to  popular  use  an 
art  that  once  belonged  to  the  civilized  portion  of  the  world,  but 
which,  in  the  shifting  of  the  scenes  of  the  world's  drama,  had 
been  forgotten !  There  is  much  truth  in  these  claims,  as  the 
history  of  northern  Africa,  Spain,  South  America,  and  many  other 


•    THE  CONQUEST  OF  DROUTH  289 

lands,  amply  prove.  If  any  doubting  Thomas  be  here,  let  him  look 
about  him  in  this  province  of  Alberta,  and  let  him  follow  us  over 
the  western  half  of  the  United  States,  and  he  will  return  a  con- 
verted man.  Dry-farming  has  already  reclaimed  its  millions  of 
acres  from  the  dominion  of  the  desert,  and  the  drouth,  and  its 
work  is  scarcely  begun. 

The  Foundation  Stones 

This  work  of  conquest,  now  well  under  way,  is  not  based 
upon  empirical  rules.  On  the  contrary  it  rests  upon  thoroughly 
established  scientific  principles.  For  that  reason,  dry-farming 
requires  the  application  of  high  skill  and  intelligence,  but  it  also 
nullifies  the  charge  that  it  is  precarious.  It  is  not  claimed  that 
all  is  known ;  but  only  that  the  steps  that  have  been  taken  con- 
form with  a  well  shaped  system  derived  from  scientific  truths. 
Note  the  seven  foundation  stones  of  dry- farming: 

1.  One  inch  of  rainfall  is  sufficient  to  produce  from  two  to  four 
bushels  of  wheat  per  acre  annually,  if  it  be  made  available  to  plants. 

2.  By  proper  methods  of  tillage,  notably  by  deep  plowing  in  the 
fall,  from  two-thirds  to  nine-tenths  of  the  rainfall  may  be  stored  in  deep 
soils  from  season  to  season  for  the  use  of  plants. 

3.  By  proper  fallowing,  the  water  stored  in  the  soil  one  year  may 
be  carried  over  to  another  year,  in  order  to  give  the  crop  the  benefit  of 
the  rainfall  of  two  years. 

4.  By  the  stirring  of  the  top  soil,  the  direct  evaporation  of  water 
from  the  soil  can  be  almost  wholly  prevented,  so  that  nearlv  all  the 
rainfall  that  enters  the  soil  may  be  used  by  plants. 

5.  By  vigorous  cultivation,  by  fallowing  or  by  adding  natural  or 
artificial  manures  to  the  soil,  the  quantity  of  water  taken  from  the  soil 
by  plants  can  be  materially  reduced. 

6.  The  seed  sown  should  be  proportioned  to  the  water  in  the  so'l. 
The  less  water,  the  fewer  plants  should  be  produced,  so  that  the  soil 
water  may  not  be  exhausted  too  early  in  the  season. 

7.  Plants  may  be  so  bred  as  to  yield  well  even  under  conditions 
of  small  water  supply. 

These  are  well  demonstrated  principles  which  form  a  secure 
basis  for  the  conquest  of  drouth  in  the  humid  regions  and  of 
the  ultimate  conquest  for  the  use  of  man  of  the  vast  unoccupied 
■  deserts.  They  should  be  taught  to  the  race  from  infancy,  and 
made  as  familiar  to  the  men  of  tomorrow  as  are  the  common  rules 
of  arithmetic.  Farmers,  business  men,  engineers,  doctors,  law- 
yers and  preachers  should  know  by  heart  these  elements  of  our 
material  prosperity.  Schools  and  colleges  should  teach  them. 
Then  will  a  time  come  when  drouth,  like  the  tamed  lion,  will  bend 
before  its  master — man. 

Much  remains  to  be  done.  The  principles  that  we^  possess 
are  general  in  their  nature  ;  their  application  must  be  varied  with 


290  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

local  conditions.  New  principles  must  be  evolved;  new  ap- 
plications must  be  devised;  machinery,  especially  adapted  to  the 
work,  must  be  invented ;  and,  above  all,  the  unoccupied  part  of  the 
earth  must  be  more  fully  surveyed  as  regards  soil  and  climatic 
conditions.  The  depth,  structure  and  fertility  of  dry-farm  soils 
must  be  known  ;  rainfall  and  other  meteorological  stations  must 
dot  the  land.  Then  on  the  frontier  of  the  advancing  area,  dem- 
onstration farms  must  be  established  to  try  out  for  each  locality 
the  methods  proposed.    It  is  a  vast  work;  but  the  prize  justifies  it. 

Only  by  governmental  aid  can  this  work  be  properly  done, 
and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  mention  that  such  aid  is  now  given  by 
most  of  the  governments  of  the  world.  Here  in  Alberta,  in  Sas- 
katchewan, and  in  other  Canadian  provinces,  the  departments  of 
agriculture  are  giving  vigorous  aid  to  this  movement.  The  same 
is  done  in  many  of  the  states  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
in  Australia,  in  Mexico,  in  many  of  the  South  American  repub- 
lics, in  the  South  African  Federation,  in  Russia,  France,  Ger- 
many, Hungary,  Spain,  Egypt,  Turkey,  China  and  in  many  other 
countries.  I  am  proud  to  be  able  to  say  that  Utah,  the  state  to 
which  I  belong,  was  the  first  in  our  country  to  appropriate  money 
for  dry-farming  investigations,  and  that  the  Utah  Agricultural 
College  was  the  first  to  dignify  dry-farming  by  giving  it  a  place 
in  the  college  course  of  study. 

In  time,  all  these  agencies  will  give  us  a  great  mass  of  infor- 
mation from  all  corners  of  the  earth,  which,  however,  to  be  of 
greatest  use,  must  be  made  accessible  to  all,  must  be  discussed  by 
many  men  from  many  lands,  and  the  conclusions  must  be  given 
wide  publicity.  Some  agency  must  be  commissioned  to  labor  by 
day  and  by  night,  throughout  the  year,  for  the  collecting,  unify- 
ing and  publishing  of  the  facts  and  achievements  of  the  dry-farm- 
ing movement,  and  for  the  periodic  bringing  together  of  the  lead- 
ers in  the  work.  Here,  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  main  function  of  the 
Dry-Farming  Congress.  While  dry-farming  is  undoubtedly  a 
popular  movement,  we  must  not  depend  too  greatly  upon  this  for 
its  final  triumph.  In  this  day  of  advertising  and  great  publicity, 
the  gospel  of  dry-farming  should  be  shouted  to  all  the  nations, 
and  a  definite  organization  should  have  the  publicity  and  unifying 
work  in  charge. 

There  is  yet  much  prejudice  to  be  overcome.  As  in  the  past, 
opposition,  both  honest  and  dishonest,  will  arise  frequently  and 
in  unexpected  quarters.  The  last  voice  against  dry-farming  has 
not  yet  been  heard.  We  must  assemble  and  have  ready  for  use, 
when  such  opposition  is  manifested,  the  reason  for  our  faith  in 
dry-farming,  and  let  those  who  have  caught  the  spirit  of  the  work 
stand  squarely  and  firmly  upon  the  doctrine  that  the  basic  scien- 
tific principles,  and  the  work  already  accomplished,  justify  the 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  DROUTH  291 

belief  that  the  deserts  of  the  earth  shall  eventually  be  conquered 
by  the  plow  and  the  harvester.  It  is  now  only  a  matter  of  a  rel- 
atively short  time  until  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  afflicted  with 
drouth  or  blessed  with  "deserts,"  will  take  to  heart  and  adopt  the 
lessons  taught  by  those  who,  in  the  face  of  the  blistering"  sun,  arc 
conquering  the  sleeping  land. 

This  Congress,  as  the  clearing  house  of  the  world's  dry-farm- 
ing ideas,  must  be  perpetuated  and  made  greater.  It  has  shown 
its  value,  for  the  interest  taken  in  dry-farming  by  the  states  and 
countries  of  the  world  is  largely  due  to  the  activity  of  this  Con- 
gress, notably  through  the  efforts  of  its  efficient  secretary,  Mr. 
John  T.  Burns.  We  are  engaged  in  making  a  new  earth,  and 
the  work  has  only  just  been  begun.  Through  this  Congress  inspi- 
ration must  be  given  to  the  scattered  workers  in  the  various  cor- 
ners of  the  world. 

What  has  been  done  is  a  small  part  of  what  should  be  done 
for  this  great  movement.  The  crying  need  of  this  Congress  was 
discussed  by  President  Worst  at  the  last  session,  that  of  an  en- 
dowment sufficient  to  establish  permanent  headquarters  for  it, 
from  which  it  may  go  out  once  a  year,  or  as  often  as  may  be, 
to  the  sections  that  desire  the  inspiration  and  the  help  it  gives  in 
the  conquest  of  drouth.  If  we  should  all  joint  Dr.  Worst  in  "a 
strong  pull,  and  a  long  pull,  and  a  pull  altogether,"  I  believe  that 
we  shall  soon  find  the  man  or  men  who  are  willing  to  build  for 
themselves  a  noble  monument  of  service  to  all  men  by  founding 
permanently  this  central  bureau  for  the  development  of  the  truths 
that  eventually  will  reclaim  the  larger  half  of  the  earth  and  make 
crtain  the  crop  yields  of  the  other  smaller  half. 

The  Desert  Will  Be  Conquered 

Of  more  importance,  however,  than  material  gifts,  in  making 
this  great  work  permanent,  is  the  attitude  that  we  shall  maintain 
towards  dry-farming.  We  must  keep  well  in  mind  that,  in  all 
probability,  the  final  solution  of  the  economic  and  socialogical 
questions  that  are  tossing  the  nations  as  in  tempest,  will  be  the 
subjection  of  all  unoccupied  lands  to  agricultural  processes,  and 
the  rational  distribution  of  the  population  upon  the  reclaimed 
lands.  This  movement,  which  as  a  world-movement  is  scarcely 
half  a  decade  old,  may  become,  as  it  broadens,  and  as  the  multi- 
tude catch  its  spirit,  the  determining  factor  in  the  establishment 
of  the  world-peace  for  which  every  right-minded  person  is  wish- 
ing, and  without  which  the  high  destiny  of  humanity  can  not  be 
realized.  The  successful  conquest  of  the  unoccupied  parts  of  the 
earth  will  be  accomplished  only  in  the  face  of  hardships — many 
of  them.    That  must  be  admitted.    But,  the  price  all  pioneers  pay 


292  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

for  their  victory,  is  a  period  of  stern  struggle  to  change  things 
from  their  wonted  way.  The  hardships  encountered  by  the  pres- 
ent day  dry-farmer  are  not  a  whit  greater  than  those  that  faced 
the  pioneers  of  the  East  who  wrested  their  farms  from  the  pri- 
meval forests,  or  the  pioneers  of  irrigation  who  toiled  in  the  mak- 
ing of  canals  long  before  the  first  crop  could  be  planted.  There 
is  only  one  crop  of  pioneers  in  any  section ;  blessed  be  their  mem- 
ory ;  but  do  not  let  us  say  that  their  lives  were  less  full  of  joy  than 
are  ours.  In  spite  of  all,  dry- farming  has  gone  onward ;  millions 
of  acres  are  yielding  crops  by  its  method ;  where  the  desert  lan- 
guished before,  thousands  of  homes  have  there  been  established, 
in  which  men  and  women  have  found  independence.  We  can  give 
the  system  and  its  results  our  fullest  confidence. 

Above  all,  however,  those  who  labor  in  this  cause  must  be- 
lieve that  man,  by  his  understanding  of  nature,  shall  acquire  do- 
minion over  all  the  earth.  In  the  hearts  of  all  who  labor  for  the 
welfare  of  man  must  rest  the  certain  faith  that  in  all  necessary 
things  man  shall  triumph.  As  problems  arise,  they  will  be  solved 
— one  by  one.  If  he  sees  through  a  glass  darkly  today,  the  vision 
will  be  transparently  clear  tomorrow.  Before  the  eternal  will  of 
man  the  conquest  of  drouth  shall  be  accomplished,  and  the  account 
of  the  warfare  shall  molder  in  dusty  volumes  of  musty  histories, 
while  the  work  will  go  on  for  the  continued  good  of  man.  Our 
English  poet  has  expressed  it  well : 

"Yet  I  know  that  through  the  ages  one  increasing  purpose  runs, 
And  the  thoughts  of  men  will  widen  with  the  progress  of  the  suns." 

May  I  be  allowed  to  close  here,  as  I  did  in  my  paper  before 
the  first  Dry-Farming  Congress :  "The  possibilities  of  dry-farming 
are  stupendous.  In  the  strength  of  growth  we  may  have  felt 
envious  of  the  great  ones  of  old ;  of  Columbus  looking  upon  the 
shadow  of  the  greatest  continent ;  of  Balboa  shouting  greetings  to 
the  resting  Pacific ;  of  Father  Escalante,  pondering  upon  the  mys- 
tery of  the  world,  alone,  near  the  shores  of  America's  Dead  Sea. 
We  need  harbor  no  such  envyings,  for  in  the  conquest  of  the  non- 
irrigated  and  non-irrigable  desert  are  offered  as  fine  opportunities 
as  the  world  has  known  for  the  makers  and  shapers  of  empires. 
We  stand  before  an  undiscovered  land ;  through  the  restless,  as- 
cending currents  of  heated  desert  air  the  vision  comes  and  goes ; 
with  stirring  eyes  the  desert  is  seen  covered  with  blossoming 
fields,  with  churches  and  homes  and  schools,  and  in  the  distance 
with  the  vision  is  heard  the  laughter  of  happy  children." 

The  desert  and  the  drouth  will  be  conquered. 

LOGAN,   UTAH 


A  Visit  to  Newcastle-on-Tyne 


BY  LYDIA  D.  ALDER 


We  sailed  on  the  North  Sea  east  of  England  from  Step- 
ney, not  far  from  London,  on  the  Tynesides,  360  miles  to 
Newcastle-on-Tyne.  We  dreamed  away  the  delightful  evening 
on  deck,  but  later  a  strong  wind  forced  us  to  seek  our  state-rooms. 
The  boisterous  wind  screeched  and  howled,  sobbed  or  wailed, 
throughout  the  night,  but  there  was  no  genuine  storm.  An  aged 
Scotch  lady,  however,  in  an  adjoining  stateroom,  frequently 
moaned,  "O  this  is  serious;  this  is  serious!"  Perhaps  hurrying 
footsteps  and  the  clanking  of  chains  on  deck,  and  the  fact  that 
nearly  everybody  on  board,  was  seasick,  added  to  her  distress. 
But  the  morning  dawned  fair  and  bright,  the  wind  subsided,  and 
we  rejoiced  that  "night  had  flown  away,"  giving  place  to  balmy 
breezes,  and  sunny,  blue  skies.  The  vessel  majestically  swept 
past  South  Shields,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tyne,  then  slowly  drew  up 
to  the  pier  at  Newcastle.  Awaiting  our  arrival  there  was  our 
fellow  townsman,  Frederick  A.  Mitchell.  This  was  a  happy 
meeting  for  our  company,  consisting  of  Miss  Farnsworth,  my 
companion  in  the  London  conference,  my  daughter  Mae  and 
myself.  We  were  taken  to  the  conference  house,  37  Cavendish 
Road,  by  President  Mitchell. 

Here  a  number  of  missionaries  were  assembled,  who,  like 
ourselves,  had  come  to  attend  the  conference  at  Newcastle.  Sister 
Parrish,  wife  of  Elder  Hyrum  Parrish,  of  Centreville,  was 
with  her  husband  laboring  in  Newcastle.  Sister  Parrish 
is  a  lady  of  refined  and  gentle  manner,  and  was  the  bright 
center  of  this  conference  home.  She  was  both  mother  and  sister 
to  the  elders  who  were  laboring  here,  and  who  had  left  their  own 
mothers,  wives,  and  sisters,  in  their  far  away  Utah  homes.  We 
ate  the  first  home-made  bread  in  Newcastle  that  we  had  tasted  for 
two  years.  Sister  Parrish  had  an  influence  for  good  upon  all  who 
came  under  her  sunny  smile.  Her  noble  characteristics  gained 
many  friends  for  her,  as  well  as  welcome  entrance  into  homes  of 


294 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


wealth  and  culture.  Some  of  her  friends  attended  our  meetings, 
perhaps  out  of  courtesy,  for  they  did  not  seem  to  want  religion, 
nor  to  be  disturbed  in  their  preconceived  ideas  of  God,  nor  the 
worship  they  accorded  to  him. 

On  the  day  following  our  arrival  in  Newcastle,  President 
Mitchell  invited  his  guests  to  visit  the  Jesmond  Dene,  a  beautiful 
canyon  presented  to  the  city  of  Newcastle  by  Lord  Armstrong, 
inventor  and  owner  of  the  Armstrong  gun.  The  city  of  New- 
castle has  erected  a  very  pretentious  building  in  the  Dene,  at  a 
point  nearest  to  the  city,  where,  in  its  spacious  hall,  20,000  people 
have  been  banqueted  in  a  single  day,  on  holiday  occasions.      The 


THE    WATER    HAS    WORX    ITSELF    TWO    BEDS    AROUND    THE    ROCKS 


Dene  reminds  one  of  our  own  City  Creek  canyon,  and  indicates 
what  might  be  done  with  it,  if  a  like  sum  of  money  were  expended 
upon  it,  as  has  been  used  in  beautifying  the  Dene.  The  glorious 
natural  scenery  of  the  Dene  is  wondrously  enhanced  by  the  in- 
genuity, art,  and  skill  of  man.  In  places  are  grassy,  sloping 
banks,  where  a  multitude  of  gorgeous  wild  flowers  bloom.  In 
some  parts  the  white,  canyon  walks  almost  touch  the  winding 
stream.     Near  the  old,  deserted  mill,  that  used  to  grind  the  corn, 


A  VISIT  TO  NKWCASTLE-ON-TYNE 


295 


the  water  has  worn  itself  two  beds  around  the  rocks,  forming  a 
lovely  waterfall.  In  this  ideal  place,  Brother  Parfish  took  a 
picture  of  the  seated  group.  Farther  up  the  stream,  which,  danc- 
ing, gurgling,  loitering  or  speeding,  as  it  flows  along,  are  the  step- 
ping stones,  so  named  because  one  must  step  on  them  in  order  to 
cross  over  the  water  to  the  other  side.  Many  merry  bursts  of 
laughter  evidenced  the  progress,  successful  or  otherwise,  that  we 
made  in  accomplishing  this  feat.  But,  like  those  of  old  of  whom 
we  read  in  the  good  Book,  we  succeeded  in  crossing  over  dry  shod. 
Towering  high  at  the  head  of  the  canyon,  the  Armstrong 


PRESIDENT    MITCHELL   AND    HIS   GUESTS 

castle  crowns  the  beautiful  scene.  Buttercups,  hyacinths,  and 
daisies,  red,  yellow,  white  and  pink,  bloom  in  profusion  on  the 
side  hills.  Trees  of  other  lands  rear  their  stately  crowns,  and 
shrubs  abound  that  grow  beyond  the  seas. 

In  the  grounds  of  a  little  historic  house,  preserved  with  its 
surroundings  in  the  canyon,  we  saw  a  most  unique  natural  flower- 
pot. It  has  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth  of  a  man,  a  running  vine 
forms  his  beard,  and  grows  oh  his  head,  like  hair,  giving  him  the 
appearance  of  a  Zulu.  From  an  upper  bank  we  obtained  a  lovely 
view  of  the  Falls  and  the  Armstrong  mansion,  and  the  Jesmond 
Dene.  The  events  of  that  day  are  passed  into  history,  and  we. 
prize  the  pictures  taken  then  as  pleasant  reminders  of  that  happy 
time. 


296 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Continuing  our  walk,  we  visited  the  ruins  of  King  John's  cas- 
tle, and  an  ancient  rock  observatory.  How  picturesque  is  storied 
England ;  not  a  foot  of  her  soil  is  without  a  history,  while  stories 
of  the  long  ago  are  breathed  by  every  rock  and  stream. 

Slowly  wending  our  way  downward,  we  reach  the  Bowling 
Green,  a  modern  place  of  recreation.  This  is  the  spot  where 
Brother  Webster  took  a  picture  of  us. 

Happy  as  children,  we  wandered  that  day  in  a  Land  Beauti- 
ful, and  like  children,  ever  unsatisfied  with  the  present  and  yearn- 
ing for  the  future,  hastened  on  in  eager  search  of  new  scenes,  not 


GROUP   OF    MISSIONARIES    RESTING    IN    THE    DENE 


prizing  those  then  with  us.  The  flowers  we  hold  in  our  hands  are 
seldom  appreciated,  in  our  eager  desire  to  find  others  more  fair. 
We  seldom  stop  to  think  that  flowers  of  more  brilliant  hue  may 
be  out  of  reach,  or  that  far  over  some  dangerous  cliff  they  may 
only  sway  tantalizingly  before  our  wistful  vision.  As  we  look 
upon  the  flowers  in  our  hands,  we  sigh ;  for  behold  as  we  gaze 
upon  them  they  are  withering  away !  The  charm  of  anticipation 
dies  with  possession ;  yet,  there  is  an  undefined  yearning  for  other 
things,  not  now  understood. 


A  VISIT  TO  NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE  297 

The  St.  Nicholas  Cathedral  is  a  feature  of  Newcastle.  The 
present  structure  is  said  to  date  from  1359,  and  was  erected  on  the 
ruins  of  a  church  built  in  1091.  Its  grand  altar  is  made  of  ala- 
baster. The  attendant  proudly  exhibited  to  us  the  altar  cloths. 
The  one  for  ordinary  use  is  in  green  and  gold.  The  one  in  blue 
and  gold  is  for  Lent ;  the  one  in  white  and  gold  is  for  Easter.  The 
ashes  of  many  hundreds  of  people  are  built  into  their  tombs  in  this 
church.  A  handsome  painting,  "The  Washing  of  Feet,"  about 
twenty  feet  long,  and  ten  feet  high,  was  shown  and  is  said  to  be 
about  350  years  old.  To  the  beholder,  the  eyes  of  the  figures 
appear  to  follow  him  from  every  side.  The  work  in  this  grand 
Cathedral,  we  were  told,  was  done  by  Newcastle  workmen,  and 
is  certainly  wonderful,  both  in  design  and  execution.  On  the 
south  side  is  a  very  old  chapel,  which,  it  was  claimed,  belonged  to 
the  original  church.  We  were  also  shown  a  very  old  grave  cover, 
and  the  effigy  of  a  Crusader.  The  model  of  a  guillotine  is  shown, 
which  French  soldiers  are  said  to  have  made  out  of  the  bones  of 
their  food.  The  Cathedral  is  a  high  church,  with  a  fine  organ,  and 
costly,  painted  windows.  The  only  difference  between  a  high 
church,  and  a  Roman  Catholic,  is  the  absence  of  the  confessional. 
The  crucifix  is  placed  where  all  worshipers  must  bow  as  they  pass 
before  it. 

The  new  castle  was  built,  so  the  histories  relate,  on  the  ruins 
of  the  old  one,  erected  by  Henry  II,  in  1018,  and  rebuilt  by  Rufus, 
son  of  the  Conqueror,  in  1172.  This  circumstance  gave  the  city 
its  name  of  Newcastle.  The  old  castle,  though  built  of  solid 
stone,  with  walls  six  feet  thick,  was  almost  totally  destroyed.  The 
present  castle  has  a  library  containing  many  precious  volumes,  and 
some  quaint,  old  chairs.  The  Antiquarian  society  holds  its  meet- 
ings here.  We  walked  down  the  old  stone  steps,  passing  under 
the  stone  arches,  where  it  is  claimed  Dick  Turpin,  the  famous 
bandit,  rode  on  horseback,  and  made  his  escape,  going  down  and 
down  through  the  stone  openings  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tyne,  where 
the  river  is  now  spanned  by  a  handsome  iron  bridge. 

Our  very  successful  conference,  coming  back  to  the  purpose 
of  our  visit,  was  followed  by  a  most  interesting  Priesthood  meet- 
ing. Lunch  was  served  in  an  upstairs  hall  to  all  who  attended. 
The  lunch  was  followed  by  a  social,  get-acquainted  hour  of  gen- 
uine enjoyment.     At  two  of  the  street  meetings,  held  during  the 


298  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

conference,  the  sisters  spoke  to  the  large  gatherings  in  the  Market 
Place. 

We  paid  a  farewell  visit  to  Jesmond  Dene  before  we  left 
Newcastle.  Again  we  visited  the  waterfall  and  crossed  over  the 
stepping  stones,  but  took  another  path  that  led  among  beds  of 
beautiful  flowers.  Then,  standing  on  the  Lady  Armstrong  bridge, 
we  gazed  upwards  to  the  castle.  We  crossed  over,  leaving  Jes- 
mond Dene  hidden  from  our  view,  perhaps  forever.  Some  of  the 
Newcastle  missionaries  accompanied  us  by  sea  to  Scotland. 
To  those  remaining  we  bade  farewell  "till  we  meet  again  in  Zion." 


What  Have  We  Done  Today? 


We  boast- of  our  work  in  future  years; 

But  what  have  we  done  today? 
We  shall  give  our  wealth  to  those  in  tears; 

But  what  did  we  give  today? 
We  shall  buoy  the  heart  and  feed  the  poor; 
In  vain  will  none  knock  at  our  door; 
Fond  castles  we  build,  as  our  great  minds  soar, 

But  have  we  "made  good"  today? 

Our  harvest  must  be  one  of  joy; 

Have  we  sown  good  seed  today? 
Our  life  shall  be  without  alloy: 

Have  we  lived  that  life  today? 
We  shall  do  so-and-so,  in  the  "bye-and-bye;" 
We  shall  laud  the  truth  from  earth  to  sky. 
And  shall  press  on  and  on  to  goals  on  high. 

But  what  have  we  done  today? 

Don't  wait  to  smile  'till  the  clouds  have  passed. 

But  give  the  smile  today. 
Don't  wait  'till  the  soul  from  earth  has  passed. 

But  give  your  rose  today. 
Though  you  hitch  your  wagon  to  a  star; 
Your  thoughts  soar  on  to  hopes  afar; 
You  make  your  life  right  where  you  are, 

Doing  kindly  deeds  today. 

0.  F.  Urse.-.-bacj 

RAYMOND,   CANADA 


Dryden  on  Salvation  for  the  Dead 


BY  CLAUDE  T.   RARNES,   M.   S.,   P.   R. 


Many  a  dust-laden  volume,  with  faded  pages  and  peculiar 
type,  contains,  should  we  but  try  to  find  them,  great  truths,  sur- 
prising philosophies  and  beauties  of  phraseology  which  need 
but  an  alteration  of  lettering  to  make  them  the  expression  of  a 
loftier  contemporary  thought  and  culture.  Indeed,  I  confess  'tis 
a  diversion  never  tiresome,  to  fish  awhile  with  Walton,  speculate 
for  a  time  with  Browne,  take  a  mug  with  Addison  at  "Will's," 
or  go  on  a  lark  with  Fielding;  in  many  respects  their  age  im- 
measurably surpasses  ours,  for  science  and  commerce  have  quite 
smothered  our  imagination. 

Truth  is  as  old  as  the  sun ;  it  must  be,  for  scattered  here 
and  there  in  the  writings  of  by-gone  centuries,  are  nuggets  of 
thought  which  prove  that  we  are,  after  all,  but  an  ordinary  step 
in  the  ladder  of  infinity.  Thus,  it  is  indeed  remarkable  that 
John  Dryden  (1631-1700)  should  have  ignored  the  credenda  of 
his  time  and  courageously  thrust  upon  his  compeers,  in  the  form 
of  a  poem  called  Religio  Laid,  a  staunch  belief  in  the  possibil- 
ity of  heathen  salvation  ;  and,  furthermore,  that  he  should  have 
argued  concerning  it  with  a  clearness  scarcely  to  have  been  ex- 
pected without  the  illuminating  influence  of  revelation.  What  he 
has  said,  therefore,  certainly  deserves  to  be  recorded  in  the  con- 
firmatory literature  of  the  subject.  It  illustrates  and  emphasizes 
the  fact  that  the  gospel  is  not  new,  but  old,  and  that  all  down 
the  ages  there  have  been  glimpses  of  it,  saving  truths  to  illu- 
minate darkness  of  error  and  tradition. 

A  logical  interpretation  of  scripture,  together  with  reflec- 
tions on  the  perfection  of  divine  justice,  must  convince  one  that 
it  were  monstrous  indeed  to  condemn  forever  the  heathen  who 
never  heard  the  name  of  Christ.     In  fact,  various  passages*  of 


*The  argument  unfolds  itself  in  the  following  citations:  Mark 
16:16;  John  3:5:  Luke  23:39-43:  Jolin  20:11-17;  I  Peter  3:18-20;  John 
5:25;  Isaiah  24:22;  42:6-7;61:l;  Job  33:27-30;  I  Cor.  15:29;  Mai.  4:5-6; 
Phil.  2;9-ll;  I  Kings  7:23. 


300  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

scripture  lead  one  to  suppose  that  even  after  death  the  spirit  is 
still  given  an  opportunity  to  accept  the  teachings  of  the  Savior. 
Such,  for  instance,  is  I  Peter  4 : 6,  which  reads : 

"For,  for  this  cause  was  the  gospel  preached  also  to  them  that  are 
dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh,  but  live 
according  to  God  in  the  spirit." 

The  doctrine  of  salvation  for  the  dead,  made  plain  in  the 
religion  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  with  its  rites  and  amplifica- 
tions, was,  of  course,  unknown  to  Dryden,  hence  Religio  Laid 
and  its  excellent  preface  are  among  the  earliest  arguments  for 
this  principle  of  universal  justice.  May  it  not  be  a  remnant  of  the 
gospel  truths  first  revealed  to  Adam,  revived  from  the  rubbish 
of  false  teachings  through  succeeding  ages? 

The  following  excerpt  is  from  the  preface  to  the  poem : 

"It  has  always  been  my  thought  that  heathens  who  never  did,  nor 
without  miracle  could,  hear  of  the  name  of  Christ,  were  yet  in  a  pos- 
sibility of  salvation.  Neither  will  it  enter  easily  into  my  belief,  that 
before  the  coming  of  our  Savior  the  whole  world,  excepting  only  the 
Jewish  nation,  should  lie  under  the  inevitable  necessity  of  everlasting 
punishment,  for  want  of  that  revelation,  which  was  confined  to  so 
small  a  spot  of  ground  as  that  of  Palestine.  Among  the  sons  of  Noah 
we  read  of  only  one  who  was  accursed;  and  if  a  blessing  in  the  ripe- 
ness of  time  was  reserved  for  Japheth  (of  whose  progeny  we  are),  it 
seems  unaccountable  to  me,  why  so  many  generations  of  the  same 
offspring  as  preceded  our  Savior  in  the  flesh  should  be  all  involved 
in  one  common  condemnation,  and  yet  that  their  posterity  should  be 
entitled  to  the  hopes  of  salvation;  as  if  a  Bill  of  Exclusion  had  passed 
only  on  the  fathers,  which  debarred  not  the  sons  from  their  succes- 
sion; or  that  so  many  ages  had  been  delivered  over  to  Hell,  and  so 
many  reserved  for  Heaven,  and  that  the  Devil  had  the  first  choice,  and 
God  the  next.  Truly  I  am  apt  to  think  that  the  revealed  religion  which 
was  taught  by  Noah  to  all  his  sons  might  continue  for  some  ages  in 
the  whole  posterity.  That  afterwards  it  was  included  wholly  in  the 
family  of  Shem  is  manifest;  but  when  the  progenies  of  Ham  and  Japh- 
eth swarmed  into  colonies,  and  those  colonies  were  subdivided  into 
many  others,  in  process  of  time  their  descendants  lost  by  little  and 
little  the  primitive  and  purer  rites  "of  divine  worship,  retaining  only 
the  notion  of  one  deity;  to  which  succeeding  generations  added  others; 
for  men  took  their  degree  in  those  ages  from  conquerors  to  gods. 
Revelation  being  thus  eclipsed  to  all  mankind,  the  Light  of  Nature,  as 
the  next  in  dignity,  was  substituted;  and  that  is  it  which  St.  Paul  con- 


DRYDEN  ON  SALVATION  FOR  THE  DEAD  301 

eludes  to  be  the  rule  of  the  heathens,  and  by  which  they  are  here- 
after to  be  judged.  If  my  supposition  be  true,  then  the  consequence 
which  I  have  assumed  in  my  poem  may  also  be  true;  namely,  that 
Deism,  or  the  principles  of  natural  worship,  are  only  the  faint  rem- 
nants or  dying  flames  of  revealed  religion  in  the  posterity  of  Noah; 
and  that  our  modern  philosophers,  nay,  and  some  of  our  philosophizing 
divines,  have  too  much  exalted  the  faculties  of  our  souls,  when  they 
have  maintained  that  by  their  force  mankind  has  been  able  to  find  out 
that  there  is  one  supreme  Agent  or  intellectual  Being  which  we  call 
God;  that  praise  and  prayer  are  his  due  worship;  and  the  rest  of  those 
deducements,  which  I  am  confident  are  the  remote  effects  of  Revela- 
tion, and  unattainable  by  our  Discourse,  I  mean  as  simply  considered, 
and  without  the  benefit  of  divine  illumination.  So  that  we  have  not 
lifted  ourselves  up  to  God  by  the  weak  pinions  of  our  Reason,  but  he 
has  been  pleased  to  descend  to  us;  and  what  Socrates  said  of  him,  what 
Plato  writ,  and  the  rest  of  the  heathen  philosophers  of  several  nations, 
is  all  no  more  than  the  twilight  of  Revelation,  after  the  sun  of  it  was 
set  in  the  race  of  Noah.  That  there  is  something  above  us,  some 
principle  of  motion,  our  Reason  can  apprehend,  though  it  cannot  dis- 
cover what  it  is  by  its  own  virtue.  And  indeed  'tis  very  improbable 
that  we,  who  by  the  strength  of  our  faculties  cannot  enter  into  the 
knowledge  of  any  being,  not  so  much  as  of  our  own,  should  be  able 
to  find  out  by  them  that  supreme  nature,  which  we  cannot  otherwise 
define  than  by  saying  it  is  infinite;  as  if  infinite  were  definable,  or  in- 
finitely a  subject  for  our  narrow  understanding.  They  who  would 
prove  religion  by  reason,  do  but  weaken  the  cause  which  they  endeavor 
to  support;  'tis  to  take  away  the  pillars  from  our  faith,  and  to  prop  it 
only  with  a  twig;  'tis  to  design  a  tower  like  that  of  Babel,  which,  if  it 
were  possible  (as  it  is  not)  to  reach  heaven,  would  come  to  nothing 
by  the  confusion  of  the  workmen.  For  every  man  is  building  a  several 
way;  impotently  conceited  of  his  own  model  and  his  own  materials; 
reason  is  always  striving,  and  always  at  a  loss;  and  of  necessity  it 
must  so  come  to  pass,  while  'tis  exercised  about  that  which  is  not  its 
proper  object.  Let  us  be  content  at  last  to  know  God  by  his  own 
methods;  at  least  so  much  of  him  as  he  is  pleased  to  reveal  to  us  in 
the  sacred  Scriptures;  to  apprehend  them  to  be  the  word  of  God  is  all 
our  reason  has  to  do;  for  all  beyond  it  is  the  work  of  Faith,  which  is 
the  seal  of  Heaven  impressed  upon  our  human  understanding." 

That  part  of  the  poem  pertinent  hereto  reads  as  follows: 

"But  stay:  the  Deist  here  will  urge  anew, 
No  supernatural  worship  can  be  true; 
Because  a  general  law  is  that  alone 
Which  must  to  all  and  everywhere  be  known: 
A  style  so  large  as  not  this  book  can  claim, 


302  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

Nor  aught  that  bears  Revealed  Religion's  name. 

Tis  said  the  sound  of  a  Messiah's  birth 

Is  gone  through  all  the  habitable  earth; 

But  still  that  text  must  be  confined  alone 

To  what  was  then  inhabited  and  known: 

And  what  provision  could  from  thence  accrue 

To  Indian  souls  and  worlds  discovered  new? 

In  other  parts  it  helped,  that,  ages  past, 

The  Scriptures  there  were  known,  and  were  embraced, 

Till  Sin  spread  once  again  the  shades  of  night: 

What's  that  to  these  who  never  saw  the  light? 

Of  all  objections  this  indeed  is  chief 

To  startle  reason,  stagger  frail  belief: 

We  grant,  'tis  true,  that  Heaven  from  human  sense 

Has  hid  the  secret  paths  of  Providence; 

But  boundless  wisdom,  boundless  mercy  may 

Find  even  for  those  bewildered  souls  a  way; 

If  from  His  nature  foes  may  pity  claim, 

Much  more  may  strangers  who  ne'er  heard  His  name; 

And  though  no  name  be  for  salvation  known, 

But  that  of  his  Eternal  Son's  alone, 

Who  knows  how  far  transcending  goodness  can 

Extend  the  merits  of  that  Son  to  man? 

Who  knows  what  reasons  may  His  mercy  lead, 

Or  ignorance  invincible  may  plead? 

Not  only  charity  bids  hope  the  best, 

But  more  the  great  Apostle  has  exprest: 

That  if  the  Gentiles,  whom  no  law  inspired, 

By  nature  did  what  was  by  law  required, 

They  who  the  written  rule  had  never  known 

Were  to  themselves  both  rule  and  law  alone, 

To  Nature's  plain  indictment  they  shall  plead 

And  by  their  conscience  be  condemned  or  freed. 

Most  righteous  doom!  because  a  rule  revealed 

Is  none  to  those  from  whom  it  was  concealed. 

Then  those  who  followed  Reason's  dictates  right, 

Lived  up,  and  lifted  high  their  natural  light, 

With  Socrates  may  see  their  Maker's  face, 

While  thousand  rubric-martyrs  want  a  place. 

Nor  does  it  balk  my  charity  to  find 

The  Egyptian  Bishop  of  another  mind; 

For,  though  his  creed  eternal  truth  contains, 

'Tis  hard  for  man  to  doom  to  endless  pains 

All  who  believed  not  all  his  zeal  required, 

Unless  he  first  could  prove  he  was  inspired. 

Then  let  us  either  think  he  meant  to  say 


DRYDEN  ON  SALVATION  FOR  THE  DEAD  303 

This  faith,  where  published,  was  the  only  way; 
Or  else  conclude  that,  Arius  to  confute, 
The  good  old  man,  too  eager  to  dispute, 
Flew  high;  and,  as  his  Christian  fury  rose, 
Damned  all  for  heretics  who  durst  oppose. 

Particularly  opportune,  in  view  of  recent  abstruse  discus- 
sions on  vague  and  unprofitable  subjects,  such  as  the  possible 
identity  of  Adam  and  the  Savior,  is  the  closing  admonition  of 
Rcligio  Laid: 

For  no  man's  faith  depends  upon  his  will, 
'Tis  some  relief,  that  points  not  clearly  known 
Without  much  hazard  may  be  let  alo'ne; 
And  after  hearing  what  our  Church  can  say, 
If  still  our  reason  runs  another  way, 
That  private  reason  'tis  more  just  to  curb 
Than  by  disputes  the  public  peace  disturb. 
For  points  obscure  are  of  small  use  to  learn: 
But  common  quiet  is  mankind's  concern." 


As  We  Journey  Along  the  Road 


It  isn't  the  things  we  say,  dear, 

Nor  the  things  we  idly  dream; 
It's  the  things  we  do  every  day,  dear, 

That  carry  us  up  the  stream. 
It  isn't  the  tears  we  shed,  dear, 

O'er  things  which  are  past  and  gone; 
It's  the  tug  at  the  oar, 
For  the  sunny  shore, 

That  carries  us  on  and  on. 

It  isn't  the  flowers  which  have  blushed,  dear. 

And  died  on  life's  thorny  way; 
It  isn't  the  songs  that  are  hushed,  dear, 

That  gladden  our  hearts  today; 
It  isn't  the  love  that  is  dead,  dear, 

That  lightens  life's  weary  load, 
It's  the  flower,  and  the  song, 
And  the   love   full   strong, 

As  we  journey  along  the   road. 

Theodore  E.  Curtis. 


Little  Problems  of  Married  Life.' 


BY  WILLIAM   GEORGE  JORDAN 


XVII — When  the  Family  Interferes 

Many  a  good  matrimonial  ship,  with  its  sunlit  cargo  of  hap- 
piness and  hope,  has  been  wrecked  on  the  rocks  of  family  inter- 
ference. If  it  were  customary  to  erect  tombstones  to  the  memory 
of  dead  loves,  the  cause  of  the  death  of  marital  happiness  in  thous- 
ands of  homes  might  be  given  in  the  chiselled  epitaph :  "Died 
from  an  Overdose  of  the  Interference  of  Relatives !" 

If  there  be  one  place  in  the  world  where  the  justice  of  "Home 
Rule"  should  be  unquestioned,  that  place  is — the  home.  Marriage 
makes  the  couple  a  new  firm,  an  independent  partnership,  not  a 
branch  house  under  the  management  of  a  parent  company.  It  is 
a  home  trust  controlled  by  two.  No  matter  how  loving,  kind, 
solicitous  and  anxious  the  family  of  either  partner  may  be  for  the 
success  of  the  new  firm,  they  must  realize  that  they  do  not  own  it, 
that  they  are  not  stockholders,  are  not  on  the  board  of  directors 
and  must  not  interfere  in  the  management.  They  may  stand  ready 
and  willing  to  give  loving  counsel,  sympathetic  suggestion,  and 
help  and  service  in  any  emergency  when  needed  and  desired,  but 
it  is  unfair,  unnecessary,  unwarranted  to  interfere. 

It  was  interference  and  bad  advice  that  spoiled  the  first  mar- 
riage, started  the  first  quarrel,  and  broke  up  the  first  home  in  the 
world  in  those  early  days,  long,  long  ago  when  Eden  was  the  only 
spot  on  earth  that  had  even  a  name.  This  was  the  first  lesson  to 
man,  and  now  after  sixty  centuries  some  people  have  not  learned 
it  yet.  Husband  and  wife  must  work  out  their  own  problems  in 
their  own  way.  They  must  do  it  by  the  best  light  of  their  united 
wisdom,  not  by  the  flickering  torches  of  obtruded  advice  from  the 
family.  They  must  convert  their  experiments  into  experience, 
transmute  little  failures  into  great  successes  and  little  failings  into 


*Copyright  1910,  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company. 


LITTLE  PROBLEMS  OF  MARRIED  LIFE  305 

finer  strength,  win  confidence  and  closer  union  through  fuller 
understanding  of  each  other,  learn  the  superiority  of  a  caress  to 
logic,  master  their  own  problems  and  gain  the  strength  that  comes 
from  mastery. 

The  problems  of  two  must  be  solved  by  two.  They  need  only 
kindness,  sympathy,  a  reserve  of  help  in  emergencies  and  a  free 
open  field  all  the  time.  There  is  no  justification  for  gossip,  criti- 
cism, complaint,  condemnation  and  incendiary  meddling  by  mem- 
bers of  the  family.  These  things  should  be  put  on  the  list  of  un- 
necessary luxuries  in  the  home  and  gently,  firmly,  definitely  cut  off. 

We  may  sometimes  be  privileged  to  help  others  to  live  their 
lives ;  it  is  arrogant  assumption  for  us  to  attempt  to  live  their 
lives  for  them.  We  are  told  that  we  should  not  bury  our  talents, 
but  there  is  one  talent, — that  of  special  aptness  for  impertinent 
management  of  the  affairs  of  others — that  we  should  carefully 
wrap  in  a  napkin  and  on  some  dark  night,  quietly  bury  forever. 

It  is  in  the  first  years  of  married  life  that  foreign  interference 
is  most  trying  and  dangerous  and  it  is  this  very  time  when  it  is 
most  conspicuous  and  dominant.  No  need  for  the  family  to  remind 
the  wife  that  the  husband  is  not  eighteen  karat,  that  he  will  never 
make  a  fortune,  that  they  fear  greatly — and  then  let  their  fear 
expand  into  a  long  catalogue  of  detail  that  fades  away  into  the 
dim  perspective  of  the  unspoken.  After  the  goods  are  bought 
and  sent  home  and  cannot  be  returned,  what  is  the  use  of  discour- 
aging the  purchaser?  Why  not  point  out  some  recognized  good 
points,  something  helpful  and  inspiring?  It  is  manifestly  unfair 
for  the  family  to  sit  as  a  self-appointed  jury  of  awards  and  criti- 
cize and  condemn  the  exhibit. 

The  wife  may  think  she  has  the  finest  little  home  in  the  world  ; 
everything  seems  beautiful  to  her  and  she  has  even  pride  in  the 
array  of  cooking  utensils,  dazzling  and  new  in  aluminum  and  tin, 
and  the  dishes  ranged  carefully  on  the  pantry  shelves.  She  often 
stands  at  the  door  and  smiles  as  she  looks  in — to  get  the  general 
effect  at  a  glance.  When  the  family  makes  a  tour  of  inspection, 
her  indiscreet  sister  may  say,  "Oh,  what  a  mite  of  a  kitchen.  You 
can  only  wash  the  small  dishes  like  cups  and  saucers  in  a  little 
box  like  this."  It  had  never  seemed  small  to  her,  none  of  the 
rooms  seemed  small ;  they  held  so  much  love  and  hope  and  happi- 
ness that  the  size  did  not  count ;  but  now  her  heart  sinks,  and  the 


306  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

joy  note  seems  gone  and  a  cloud  comes  over  it  all  and  she  begins 
to  compare  her  home  with  that  of  some  friend  and  it  suffers.  She 
thinks  of  all  the  other  deficiencies  pointed  out  by  the  visiting- 
inspectors.  She  tries  to  be  brave  so  she  will  be  smiling  when  he 
comes  home  but  it  is  hard  to  keep  back  the  tears. 

When  her  husband's  sister  tells  her  in  confidence,  "just  to  put 
you  on  your  guard  so  you  will  know  how  to  handle  him,"  what  a 
temper  he  has,  it  comes  to  her  as  a  surprise  and  a  grief,  for  it  does 
not  seem  possible  he  could  ever  speak  a  cross  word.  When  she 
hears,  still  in  confidence,  about  the  "girl  he  was  so  much  in  love 
with  two  years  ago  and  was  going  to  marry,"  she  feels  twinges  of 
vague  jealousy  and  she  wants  to  be  alone. 

He,  too,  may  suffer  from  the  early  stages  of  family  interfer- 
ence if  his  mother  begins  her  maternal  vivisection  of  his  wife.  She 
doubts  if  she  will  prove  a  good  housekeeper,  but  "of  course  we 
have  to  hope  for  the  best."  Little  possible  failings  are  discov-' 
ered,  aired  and  discussed  with  genuine  love  for  the  son  and  honest 
wishes  for  the  success  of  the  marriage,  but  such  a  jumble  of 
doubts  and  fears  and  such  a  strenuous  effort  to  be  just  and  to  be 
optimistic  in  a  heroic  way  like  one  trying  to  calm  frightened  pas- 
sengers in  a  shipwreck  that  he  breaks  away  as  quickly  as  possible 
knowing  that  his  wife  is  really  way  above  par,  but  the  interview 
has  wearied  him. 

Soon  the  family  may  begin  a  campaign  of  education  on  how 
she  should  manage  him.  She  hears  with  irritation  the  words : 
"You  surely  won't  let  him  smoke  in  the  parlor!  You  know  you 
can  never  get  the  odor  out  of  the  curtains  and  that  cartridge  paper 
drinks  in  smoke  like  blotting  paper  absorbs  ink."  If  she  weakly 
assents  they  increase  the  dose ;  if  she  rebels  they  think  she  is  over- 
confident and  setting  her  right  becomes  more  than  a  pleasure — it 
is  a  duty.  "Never  permit  him  to  be  five  minutes  late  at  dinner. 
Just  assert  your  independence,"  is  the  next  shot  from  this  peace- 
congress  in  the  interests  of  domestic  war.     So  the  siege  goes  on. 

The  husband  may  return  home  in  the  evening  and  find  the 
wife  nervous,  irritable,  brimful  of  suggested  new  arrangements 
in  the  home,  and  repairs  that  he  might  make  in  his  manners  and 
disposition.     She  does  not  tell  him  who  has  been  there  all  after-, 
noon  but  he  knows  it  as  absolutely,  from  the  traces  left  in  her 


LITTLE  PROBLEMS  OF  MARRIED  LIFE  307 

conversation,  as  the  hunter  reads  the  passing  of  a  bear  from  tracks 
in  the  snow. 

She  may  later  tell  him  of  a  change  to  be  made  in  one  of  the 
rooms  and  she  unwisely  names  the  member  of  her  family  who 
made  the  motion ;  or  he  to  sustain  a  position  may  repeat  some 
criticism  his  mother  made.  They  are  planting  seeds  of  discord 
in  each  other's  minds,  unconsciously  stimulating  prejudice  and 
opposition  and  intensifying-  family  interference.  When  a  man 
buys  a  cheap  hat  he  sometimes  conceals  the  dealer's  name  with 
gilt  paper  initials.  Let  him  be  equally  careful  in  the  home  to 
remove  the  identifying  tag  of  authorship  from  any  unpleasant 
advice  that  comes  from  his  family. 

As  the  days  go  on,  critical  appropriation  from  the  family  com- 
mittee on  interference  may  grow  harder  and  harder  to  bear.  It  is 
depressing  to  live  under  the  microscope  of  criticism,  like  an  im- 
paled insect.  There  is  often  condemnation  where,  if  the  full  facts 
were  known,  there  would  be  only  praise.  There  is  altogether  too 
much  judging  in  the  world,  too  much  idle  intrusive  censorship  of 
the  acts  of  others.  It  is  uncomfortable  to  hear  constantly  that 
"you  ought  to  do  this"  or  "you  should  certainly  do  that."  It  is  so 
easy  to  solve  the  conundrums  of  another's  life. 

The  reason  that  advice  is  usually  of  little  value  is  that  it  is 
not  based  on  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  infinity  of  detail  that 
makes  up  a  condition.  Perfect  advice  should  fit  the  situation  as  a 
glove  fits  the  hand ;  most  advice  does  not  get  much  nearer  than  a 
boxing-glove  in  the  matter  of  fitting. 

That  the  family  interference  may  arise  from  genuine  interest 
does  not  excuse  it  nor  even  explain  it ;  where  love  is  greatest  it 
should  be  most  tender  and  most  considerate.  There  are  times 
when  some  tiny  flame  of  misunderstanding  arises  between  husband 
and  wife  that  a  breath  of  kindly  interpretation  might  blow  into 
nothingness,  but,  talked  over  by  the  family  and  canvassed  and 
debated  and  intensified,  grows  into  a  conflagration. 

Under  the  gossip,  often  unthinking  of  its  evil  influence,  a  tiny 
molehill  of  difficulty  may  become  an  almost  impassable  Rocky 
Mountain  range.  Oil  is  a  good  thing  to  pour  on  troubled  waters 
but  it  is  poor  to  put  out  a  fire.  A  difficulty  that  originally  con- 
cerned only  a  duet  now  has  been  made  to  affect  the  whole  family 


308  IMPROVEMENT  ERA    . 

choir.  It  is  easier  for  two  people  to  reach  loving  harmony  than 
to  distribute  it  among  a  dozen. 

Sometimes  the  interference  of  families  becomes  even  more 
active  and  aggressive  than  this,  and  because  of  a  fancied  grievance 
or  a  genuine  opposition  it  actually  comes  between  husband  and 
wife  and  by  harsh  criticism  or  condemnation  seeks  to  incite  strife 
and  discord  between  them.  Here  instant  loyalty  of  the  one  to  the 
other  should  assert  itself  and  refuse  to  listen  to  the  voice.  In  an 
instinctive  spirit  of  protection  there  should  be  a  calm,  dignified 
protest  against  the  recital  of  what  if  unessential  should  never  be 
spoken,  and  if  of  serious  import  should  be  heard  only  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  one  thus  charged  with  what  he  or  she  should  have  the 
opportunity  of  denying  or  disproving  instantly,  before  the  weeds 
of  suspicion  have  time  to  root  themselves  in  the  heart  of  the  other. 

In  many  homes,  there  is  some  one  in  the  family,  on  either 
side,  whose  visits  bring  a  trail  of  sadness,  sorrow,  protest,  bitter 
opposition,  and  unnecessary  and  unwarrantable  intrusion  of  a  dis- 
cordant element  tending  to  worry,  irritate  and  perhaps  even  to 
bring  into  inharmony  husband  and  wife.  In  this  delicate  situation 
it  often  seems  a  problem  how  best  to  act.  The  health  and  happi- 
ness of  the  home  must  be  considered  as  of  first  and  greatest  im- 
portance. If  it  be  but  a  trivial  inconvenience  or  jar  to  the 
domestic  serenity,  the  wisdom  of  tolerance  for  a  time  should  be 
manifested. 

If  it  be  of  more  serious  menace,  impossible  to  master  by 
patient  bearing,  the  privilege  of  hospitality  should  not  be  strained 
beyond  the  bearing  point.  There  is  a  moment  when  sacrifice 
ceases  to  be  a  virtue  and  degenerates  into  cowardice,  vice.  There 
may  be  an  injustice  to  oneself  and  to  one  near  and  dear  that  this 
unwelcome  guesthood  outrages.  It  is  not  true  hospitality  to  mask 
the  heart's  continued  protest  under  a  smile,  to  submit  unnecessarily 
to  an  atmosphere  that  saps  one's  mental  and  moral  vitality,  that 
dulls  energy,  deadens  one's  finer  sensibility,  and  kills  the  joy  of 
life,  leaving  one  worried,  weak,  worn  and  weary,  unable  to  meet 
as  one  should  the  questions  of  every-day  living. 

If  we  constantly  suffer  injustice  that  we  can  remove,  we  are 
slaves  to  the  individuality  of  another  and  cowards  to  our  own. 
The  rankling  irritation  of  the  unjust  bearing,  if  continued,  will 
permeate  our  whole  nature,  like  an  emotional  poison.     We  should 


LITTLE  PROBLEMS  OF  MARRIED  LIFE  309 

therefore  act  calmly,  wisely,  with  kindness  and  dignity,  and 
frankly  recognize  conditions  and  with  perfect  fairness  take  the 
gentlest  action  that  will  remedy  them.  Better  a  short,  decisive 
battle  fought  to  a  finish  than  a  constant  series  of  petty  squabbles 
and  skirmishes. 

We  cannot  be  just  to  others  if  we  are  unjust  to  ourselves.  If 
one  lives  ever  under  the  sceptre  of  the  decision  of  others,  it  is  not 
free  life — it  is  slavery..  One  cannot  keep  emotion  constantly 
corked  up ;  some  time  that  cork  will  come  out — perhaps  inoppor- 
tunely. True  love,  true  companionship,  true  living,  can  reign  in 
the  home  only  as  there  is  in  the  home  an  atmosphere  of  liberty, 
of  individual  freedom  in  its  highest  sense. 

If  there  be  interference  from  outside  forces,  whether  they 
be  from  the  family  or  others,  that  tends  to  blight  the  joy,  rest, 
peace  and  calm  of  the  home,  that  threatens  to  bring  in  even  the 
thin  edge  of  the  wedge  of  discord  between  husband  and  wife — that 
interference  should  be  silenced  forever.  The  home  should  be  a 
sanctuary  of  refuge,  not  a  battle-ground  of  discord ;  it  should  be 
a  place  where  the  angel  of  love  ever  swings  the  censer  of  peace, 
and  calm,  and  happiness. 

["The  Incubus  of  Constant  Faultfinding"  is  the  title  of  the  next  chapter 
in  this  series.] 


I  Would  Not  Know 


I  would  not  know  the  measure  of  today — 

Lest  blind,  recursant  I — 
Should  seek  to  wile  some  potent  hour  away, 

That  pain  would  sanctify. 

I  would  not  list  the  monQchord  of  fate — 

All  erudite  to  be, 
Lest  I  should  cringe  from  anguish  consummate, 

And  chortle  to  be  free. 

Of  alchemy,  to  probe  erstwhile,  the  end, 

I  seek  no  whit  of  power — 
Suffice  within  my  micr.ocosm's  trend. 

To  face  each  little  hour. 

Bertha  A.  Kleinman. 


MESA,    ARIZ. 


War 

1  feel  thy  scorching  breath  upon  my  cheeks, 

0  demon  god,  that  broodest  o'er  the  world. 

Who,  with  the  speed  of  maddened  whirlwind,  seeks 
To  devastate  the  nations,  to  make  faint, 
By  hunger,  thirst,  that  e'er  thine  allies  are  : 
And  conflagration's  cursed,  swift-shod  feet, 
Which  were  and  ever  are  thy  guiding  star. 

1  feel  the  wretched  bane  of  thy  caress, 
The  vampire  kiss  that  robs  humanity, 
Throughout  the  ages,  of  her  noblest,  best, 
And  leaves  behind  the  venom  of  its  sting 
Within  the  heart  and  soul  of  those  bereft. 
Upon  earth's  vast  expanse,  I  see  a  stain, 
A  stain  of  crimson  like  unto  a  flood, 
Remembrancing  the  struggle  and  the  pain 
Of  those  who  upon  thine  altar  placed  their  all, 
Obedient  to  thine  insatiety. 

And  now,  I  see  a  face  peer  'tween  the  bars 
That  hold  it  captive,  hear  the  rythmic  beat 
Of  snowy  pinions,  flecked  by  sanguine  wars ; 
And  know  that  not  'til  sound  of  tramping  feet, 
Which  marks  thy  minions,  shall  forever  cease, 
Will  angel  hands,  that  rolled  away  the  stone, 
Thrice  bless  the  world  by  liberating  Peace. 

Grace  Ingles  Frost. 

WATERLOO,  UTAH 


"Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator.' 

[Early  in  December  of  last  year,  the  Rt.  Rev.  F.  S.  Spalding,  Episcopal 
Bishop  of  Utah,  put  forth  a  brochure  entitled,  "Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Trans- 
lator." In  it  he  tried  to  prove,  among  other  things  which  will  be  clearly  shown 
in  quotations  from  his  writings  in  the  articles  following,  that  the  Prophet 
Joseph  failed  as  a  translator  of  ancient  Egyptian  language,  and  therefore,  also 
as  a  translator  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  as  a  Prophet  of  God.  His  docu- 
ment aroused  considerable  interest,  and  especially  among  some  of  the  writers 
of  the  Church  who  then  prepared  answers  to  his  arguments.  By  consent  of  the 
authors,  the  Era  is  able  to  present  these  to  its  readers;  and  while  other  papers 
may  appear  hereafter,  we  believe  that  in  the  series  here  presented,  the  discrim- 
inating reader  will  not  only  be  greatly  interested  but  will  discover  sufficient 
to  refute  the  Bishop's  argument  and  find  a  vindication  once  more  of  the  work 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph. — The  Editors.] 


A  Plea  in  Bar  of  Final  Conclusions. 


BY  B.  H.  ROBERTS,  OF  THE  FIRST  COUNCIL  OF  SEVENTY 


[This  article  was  first  printed  in  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune,  of  Dec.  15,  1912,  but 
has  been  enlarged  and  revised  by  the  author  for  the  Improvement  Era.  The  rea- 
son for  trie  publication  of  the  article  in  the  Tribune,  Elder  Roberts  states,  was 
that  there  appeared  in  that  paper  on  the  8th  of  December,  1912,  a  very  sympa- 
thetic not  to  say  fulsome  review  of  Bishop  Spalding's  brochure,  with  predictions 
of  its  direful  effects  upon  "Mormonism."  Elder  Roberts  was  therefore  anxious 
to  obtain  a  hearing  before  the  readers  of  that  paper,  and  accordingly  applied  to 
the  management  of  the  Tribune  for  that  privilege,  which  was  very  willingly 
and  courteously  granted,  and  for  which  he  here  makes  acknowledgment  and 
tenders  his  thanks.— The  Editors.] 

I  call  what  I  have  to  say  at  present  written,  addressed  to  him  as  to  whether 
on  Bishop  Spalding's  pamphlet,  "Joseph  or  not  the  "case"  which  the  bishop  ap- 
Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator,"  a  plea  in  parently  makes  against  the  Book  of 
bar  of  final  conclusions,  because  I  real-  Abraham  can  be  met.  is  the  occasion 
ize  that  my  remarks  may  not  properly  for  this  immediate,  and  what  may  be 
be  regarded  as  a  complete  answer  to  considered,  not  without  some  reason, 
his-  very  adroitly  presented  case,  spe-  an  inadequate  reply, 
cifically  against  the  Book  of  Abraham,  My  only  object  now  is  to  call  atten- 

and  inferentially  against  the  Book  of  tion  to  such  imperfections  in  the  data 
Mormon,  as  genuine  translations.  And  on  which  the  bishop  bases  his  conclu- 
here  let  it  be  admitted  that  the  bishop's  sions,  as  to  indicate  that  they  do  not 
premises  and  argument  are  worthy  of  furnish  sufficient  grounds  to  warrant 
profounder  consideration  than  it  is  pos-  the  deductions  as  being  final,  and  that 
sible  for  this  writer  under  present  cir-  the  inquiry  conducted  by  him  is  not  so 
cumstances  to  give  them.  But  the  formidable  as  at  first  glance  it  would 
number   of   inquiries,   both   verbal   and       appear. 


310 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


As  another  item  in  the  preliminary  to 
my  remarks  upon  the  bishop's  case 
against  the  Book  of  Abraham,  permit 
me  to  acknowledge  the  courtesy  and 
oven  generosity  to  "Mormon"  writers 
he  displays  in  conducting  his  inquiry; 
and  to  say  that  his  method  of  discus- 
sion is  entirely  legitimate,  and  the  spirit 
of  it  irreproachable.  I  am  willing  to 
accord  to  him  all  the  courtesy  and 
generosity  he  exhibits  in  debate  that 
the  reviewer  of  his  pamphlet  claims  for 
him  in  last  Sunday's  Tribune. 

THE   BISHOP'S    CASE. 

Briefly  stated,  the  case  of  the  bishop 
against  Joseph  Smith  as  a  translator 
is  this: 

The  competency  of  the  Prophet  as  a 
translator  of  ancient  records  can  be  as- 
certained in  but  one  way.  "The  original 
texts,  together  with  his  interpretations, 
must  be  submitted  to  competent  schol- 
ars, and  if  they  declare  his  translations 
to  be  correct,  then  they  must  be  accept- 
ed as  true." 

Conversely,  if  the  "competent 
scholars"  shall  declare  his  -transla- 
tions to  be  incorrect,  then,  of  course, 
his  claims  as  a  translator  fall  to  the 
ground;  and  with  that  failure  as  a 
translator  demonstrated,  his  claims  to 
divine  inspiration  cannot  be  allowed; 
he  is  no  prophet  of  God.  If  he  was 
not  a  truly  inspired  translator  then  he 
had  no  right  to  the  religious  leader- 
ship which  "earnest  men"  accorded 
him. 

"However  sincere  he  may  have  been 
in  believing  in  his  mission,"  the  bishop 
argues,  "if  the  translation  he  gave  to 
mankind  is  false,  he  is  shown  to  have 
been  self-deceived."  And  if  he  was 
self-deceived  in  the  matter  of  his  trans- 
lations, then  those  witnesses  who  testi- 
fied to  the  correctness  of  his  transla- 
tion, by  a  supposed  hearing  of  the 
voice  of  God,  declaring  the  fact,  were 
diso  self-deceived  (pamphlet  p.  11;) 
and  the  result  must  be  a  repudiation 
(if  "the  whole  body  of  belief,"  which 
has  been  built  upon  Joseph  Smith's 
translations  of  ancient  records — the 
Book  of  Mormon  and  the  Book  of 
Abraham. 

As  the  bishop  remarks,  ''these  ques- 


tions are  most  critical,"  and,  I  might 
add,  most  searching,  since  they  lay  the 
ax  at  the  root  of  the  whole  "Mormon" 
tree.  I  allow  the  bishop  all  his  claims 
to  the  dire  results  to  "Mormonism"  if 
he  can,  to  the  point  of  demonstration, 
make  his  case  good  against  Joseph 
Smith   as  a  translator. 

How  may  this  end  be  achieved?  Con- 
fessedly, as  the  translator  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  the  Prophet  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  bishop,  at  least  by  direct 
means;  for  the  reason  that  "the 
plates"  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  are 
"not  available"  for  the  above  purpose, 
being  in  the  keeping  of  the  messenger 
to  whom  Joseph  Smith  returned  them 
after  the  translation  was  completed. 
But  in  certain  Egyptian  papyrus  rolls, 
found  in  a  sarcophagus  in  .  Egypt, 
which  came  into  Joseph  Smith's  pos- 
session in  1835,  a  translation  of  which 
he  published  in  March,  1842  (Times 
and  Seasons,  vol.  3.  Nos.  9  and  10.) 
the  bishop  finds  something  that  will 
serve  his  purpose  equally  well;  be- 
cause with  the  Prophet's  translation 
and  explanation  of  some  parts  of  this 
ancient  record,  which  the  translator 
called  the  Book  of  Abraham,  is  pub- 
lished three  facsimiles  of  the  original 
Egyptian  text  from  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham. These  facsimiles  may  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  learned  Egyptolo- 
gists, and  as  "today  the  Egyptian  lan- 
guage is  readily  translated  by  many 
scholars,  we  have  just  the  test  we 
need,"  says  the  bishop,  "of  Joseph 
Smith's  accuracy  as  a  translator." 
(Pamphlet  p.  18.) 

The  bishop  has  appiied  the  test. 
That  is  to  say,  Bishop  Spalding  sent 
the  facsimiles  of  the  Egyptian  re- 
cords with  Joseph  Smith's  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Abraham,  with  the 
Prophet's  partial  translation  and  ex- 
planations of  these  facsimiles,  to  cer- 
tain American,  English,  and  German 
Egyptologists  for  their  opinion  of  the 
accuracy  of  the  translation,  with  the 
result  that  they  all— and  there  are 
eight  of  them— give  judgment  against 
the  Prophet. 

"THE   JURY"   IN  THE   CASE. 
These  scholars,  world  renowned,  are: 
Dr.   A.   H.   Sayce   of  Oxford,   England; 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


311 


Dr.  W.  M.  Flinders  Petrie,  London  uni- 
versity; James  H.  Breasted,  Ph.D.. 
Haskell  Oriental  museum,  University  of 
Chicago;  Dr.  Arthur  C.  Mace,  assistant 
curator,  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art, 
New  York,  department  of  Egyptian 
art;  Dr.  John  Peters,  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  charge  of  expedition 
to  Babylonia-,  1888-1895;  the  Rev  Prof. 
C.  A.  B.  Mercer,  Ph.  D.,  Western  The- 
ological seminary,  custodian  Hibbard 
collection  Egyptian  reproductions;  Dr. 
Edward  Meyer,  University  of  Berlin; 
Dr.  Friedrich  Freiheer  Von  Bissing, 
professor  of  Egyptology  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Munich. 

Quite  a  formidable  list  of  learned 
men,  truly;  and  I  give  it,  because  I 
think  the  bishop  is  entitled  to  have  it 
known  by  those  reading  these  "re- 
marks" how  eminent  is  the  jury  pro- 
nouncing on  the  case  against  the  "Mor- 
mon" Prophet. 

VALE  BISHOP. 

At  this  point  we  may  leave  the  bish- 
op. He  has  done  his  duty;  he  has  pre- 
sented the  case,  and  has  received  a 
verdict.  From  this  on  we  are  to  deal 
with  that  verdict,  and  the  jury  render- 
ing it. 

One  who  can  lay  no  claim  to  the 
learning  of  Egypt  at  first  hand,  by 
knowledge  of  original  records,  may  well 
pause  before  such  an  array  of  Egypto- 
logists as  listed  above,  before  under- 
taking to  comment  upon  their  conclu- 
sions. And  truly  it  is  in  no  spirit  of 
arrogance  or  flippancy  or  self-suffi- 
ciency that  I  undertake  to  make  my 
comments;  neither  as  despising  nor 
flouting  their  learning.  In  their  pres- 
ence it  is  becoming  in  me,  and  all 
others  unschooled  in  ancient  Egyptian 
lore,  to  speak  with  modesty  and  be- 
have with  becoming  deference.  But  I 
ask  that  due  attention  at  this  point 
be  given  to  the  very  limited  scope  of 
what  I  propose:  I  am  making  a  plea 
only  in  bar  of  final  conclusions  upon 
this  subject,  and  I  think  I  can  point 
out  from  the  decisions  of  these  learned 
men  sufficient  reasons  to  warrant  that 
stay  of  final  judgment  for  which  I 
plead.  And  meantime  I  call  the  at- 
tention of  the  youth  of  my  own  people 
to   the   fact   that   these   questions   that 


depend  upon  special  scholarship  are 
questions  that  require  time  and  re- 
search and  discovery,  and  there  is  no 
occasion  for  hurry  in  dealing  with 
them,  and  the  conclusions  of  the 
learned  in  such  matters  are  not  as  un- 
changeable as  they  seam. 

For  instance,  qui'*,  a  remarkable  re- 
volution has  occured  in  Egyptology 
within  recent  years,  within  the  period 
of  Egyptian  activities,  indeed,  of  a 
number  of  Bishop  Spalding's  jury,  es- 
pecially of  Dr.  Petrie,  whose  activities 
are  credited  with  beginning  the  revolu- 
tion. "In  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1895,"  remarks  Prof.  George  Stein- 
dorff,  ''with  the  assistance  of  his  pupil 
Quibell,  he  (Petrie)  discovered  many 
cemeteries  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  Nile,  between  the  districts  of 
Naquada  and  Eallas,  the  contents  of 
which  differed  considerably  from 
those  of  other  graves  in  Egypt,  and 
which  he  therefore  regarded  not  as 
Egyptian  but  as  belonging  probably  to 
a  Lybian  race."  One  of  the  remark- 
able differences  was  the  posture  of 
the  buried  dead.  With  few  exceptions 
up  to  this  time  the  dead  were  found 
lying  on  their  backs  or  on  their  sides 
at  full  length,  the  bodies  found  by 
Dr.  Petrie  in  the  districts  named 
were  "doubled  up,  the  knees  drawn 
up,  the  hands  before  the  face, 
and  lying  on  the  left  side  ...  The 
funeral  objects  were  peculiar."  These 
considerations  led  Dr.  Petrie  to  con- 
clude that  the  race  they  represented 
was  not  Egyptian,  A  year  later,  how- 
ever, the  French  Egyptologist  Prof. 
E.  Amelineau  made  discoveries  of  a 
similar  character  in  the  "rubbish 
mounds  known  as  Umm  el-Ga"ab,  near 
the  ancient,  sacred  city  of  Abydos." 
"The  tombs  of  the  kings  of  Abydos," 
remarks  Prof.  Steindorff,  ''being  pure- 
ly Egyptian  (as  the  inscriptions  found 
in  them  prove.)  it  naturally  follows 
that  the  civilization  brought  to  light 
through  these  tombs  is  also  Egyptian, 
and  does  not  belong  to  another  peo- 
ple   as    Petrie    at    first    assumed." 

But  what  was  more  important  in  the 
discoveries  of  Amelineau,  was  the  open- 
ing of  several  royal  tombs;  and  "for- 
tunately, three  kings  are  mentioned 
by   their  birth    names      on    two   stone 


312 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


fragments  found  at  Abydos,  and  in 
these  we  recognize  the  kings  Usaphais, 
Miebis,  and  Lememses,  mentioned  in 
the  native  lists,  as  well  as  'by  Mane- 
tho.  All  three  belong  to  the  First 
Dynasty,  that  is,  to  the  period  before 
the  builders  of  the  great  pyramids 
(i.  e.  prior  to  4,000,  B.  C.)  which 
therefore  is  also  about  the  time  when 
the  tombs  of  Abydos  were  built,  and 
the  period  to  which  belong  the  other 
similar  cemeteries  of  Upper  Egypt,  a 
date  which  has  been  otherwise  con- 
firmed." 

Among  the  discoveries  at  Abydos  by 
Amelineau  was  the  very  tomb  of 
Osiris!  and  in  it  the  mumified  re- 
mains of  that  ancient  king.  "Near  the 
head  were  two  hawks,  and  two  more 
were  at  the  feet:  The  dead  was  desig- 
nated by  the  inscription:  "Osiris,  the 
Good  Being."  The  hawks  were  la- 
belled, Horus,  the  avenger  of  his 
father;  and  the  Godess  Isis  is  also 
designated  by  her  name"  (From 
Amelineau's  own  description  of  his  dis- 
covery.) 

Previous  to  these  discoveries-18  9  6- 
Prof.  Steindorff  declares  that  "the 
earliest  history  and  civilization  of 
Egypt  was,  so  to  speak,  terra 
incognita.  For  the  period  prior  to  the 
Fourth  Dynasty  we  were  dependent, 
to  a  great  extent,  on  the  information 
of  Manetho.  with  a  large  mixture  of 
mythical  elements,  on  the  royal  lists 
of  kings,  taken  from  older  sources,  and 
on  occasional  passages  in  Egyptian 
texts  of  the  Old  Empire  and  of  later 
times.  From  these, however,  we  learned 
little  more  than  the  names  and  prob- 
able order  of  the  kings  who  ruled  from 
Menes  down  to  Snofru  (Sephuris,)  the 
predecessor  of  Cheops.  Of  the  monu- 
ments of  this  period  only  the 
tomb  pyramid  of  Zeser  and  a  few 
remains  of  Mastabas  of  the  Third 
Dynasty  were  known.  In  consequence 
of  this  paucity  of  information,  it  has 
often  happened  that  serious  scholars 
have  considered  the  kings  of  this  earli- 
est period  of  Egyptian  history  as 
mythical  personages,  or  at  least  have 
come  to  the  opinion  that  the  lists  of  the 
kings  were  nothing  but  artificial  com- 
pilations."   (The  above  quotation,  and 


information  preceding  it,  is  from  the 
paper,  Excavations  in  Egypt,  by  Prof. 
George  Steindorff,  published  in  Explor- 
ations in  Bible  Lands,  During  the  19th 
Century— 1903— pp.  625-690.)  "Little  by 
little,"  he  adds,  "we  are  gaining  more 
light  upon  this  dark  subject." 

This  is  putting  the  results  of  the  dis- 
covery into  very  conservative  terms. 
Prof.  Clifton  Marby  Levy,  member  of 
the  Egyptian  Exploration  Fund,  and 
American  Oriental  Society,  was  more 
enthusiastic  in  his  comments  on  the 
result  of  the  find  about  the  time  it  oc- 
curred: 

"The  gods  are  men.  That  is  the 
result  of  the  latest  discoveries  in  old 
Egypt.  For  Professor  E.  Amelineau, 
one  of  the  most  famous  and  trust- 
worthy of  the  explorers  in  Egypt,  an- 
nounces positively  that  he  has  found 
the  very  tcmbs  in  which  were  buried 
the  bodies  of  the  Egyptian  deities 
Osiris,  Horus  and  Set.  The  discovery 
has  made  a  tremendous  sensation  all 
over  the  world,  for  these  names  had 
been  always  supposed  by  modern  schol- 
ars to  be  purely  mythical. 

"It  would  be  impossible  to  exagger- 
ate the  importance  of  Professor  Ame- 
lineau's discovery,  for  it  is  more  radi- 
cal and  far-reaching  than  any  of  the 
many  remarkable  finds  made  in  his- 
toric Egypt.  Not  one  of  the  modern 
historians  of  that  land  of  mystery  from 
Flinders  Petrie  to  Adolf  Erman  has  ex- 
pressed any  belief  in  the  actual  exist- 
ence of  the  first  divine  kings  of  Egypt. 
The  names  Osiris,  Isis,  Horus  and  Set 
have  been  supposed  by  every  writer  to 
be  nothing  more  nor  less  than  personi- 
fications of  the  powers  of  nature. 

"But  scholars  are  critical  beings, 
readier  with  new  theories  to  explain 
such  stories  than  to  accept  them  as 
containing  the  truth.  It  was  incredible 
to  them  that  such  beings  as  Osiris  and 
Horus  ever  lived,  and  in  the  legends  of 
their  adventures  they  saw  nothing 
more  than  the  personifying  of  the 
earth,  the  Nile,  the  sun  and  the  stars. 
M.  Amelineau,  however,  with  his  spade, 
upsets  all  of  their  theories,  in  so  far 
as  they  deny  the  existence  of  these 
gods  on   earth,   for  he  has  found  their 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


313 


tombls,"  (Letter  to  the  New  York 
Sunday  Journal,  March  13th,  1898.) 

Nor  is  this  likely  to  be  the  last  up- 
setting that  new  discoveries  will  bring 
concerning  Egyptology.  As  remarked 
by  Prof.  Steindorff — "more,  consider- 
able more,  still  remains  hidden,  wait- 
ing for  the  fortunate  discoverer;  and 
the  day  is  far  remote  when  the  cry 
of  'nothing  new  from  Africa'  will  be 
heard    by   the   civilized    world." 

And  now  to  apply  this  recent  revo- 
lution to  the  present  case.  Suppose 
Joseph  Smith,  previous  to  1895,  had 
announced  that  the  mummies  with 
which  was  found  the  Egyptian  rolls  of 
papyrus,  here  in  question,  were 
doubled  up,  the  knees  drawn  up,  the 
hands  before  the  face  and  lying  on 
the  left  side.  In  that  event  some 
"Prof.  Sayce,"  doubtless,  could  have 
been  found  who  would  have  said:  "It 
is  difficult  to  deal  seriously  with 
Joseph  Smith's  impudent  fraud" 
(Pamphlet,  p.  23);  "every  one  knows," 
such  a  Sayce  would  doubtless  have 
added,  "that  no  Egyptians  have  been 
found  so  buried,  the  mummies  must 
be  of  some  other  race.  And  some 
"Dr.  Mace"  could  have  been  found  to 
denounce  such  a  declaration  as  "a 
farrago  of  nonsense"  (Pamphlet  p.  27) 
— so  easy  is  it,  even  for  dignified, 
learned  men,  to  speak  contemptuously. 
But  since  189  6 — since  the  discoveries 
of  Dr.  Petrie  and  Prof.  Amelineau — 
the  whole  list  of  Egyptoligists  would 
be  in  agreement  with  such  a  declara- 
tion, such  virtue  is  there  in  the  turn- 
ing of  a  spade — the  opening  of  a  tomb. 

Or  had  Joseph  Smith  announced 
that  the  mummies  with  which  the  rolls 
of  papyrus  were  found  contemporane- 
ous with  the  ancient  personages, 
Osiris,  Isis,  Horus,  Set,  then  what  a 
storm  of  impatient  ridicule  would 
have  raged  about  the  Prophet's  head, 
and  with  what  scorn  the  learned 
savants  would  have  informed  a  listen- 
ing world  that,  all  this  was  "a  farrago 
of  nonsense,"  that  the  names  Osiris, 
Isis,  Horus  and  Set  are  "nothing  more 
nor  less  than  personifications  of  the 
powers  of  nature"  (Prof.  Levy).  It 
was  incredible  that  "such  beings  as 
Osirus  and  Horus  ever  lived."  "and  in 
the   legends   of  their   adventures"   the 


learned  "saw  nothing  more  than  the 
personifying  of  earth,  the  Nile,  the 
sun  and  the  stars"  (Levy).  And 
doubtless  some  "Professor  Breasted" 
could  have  been  found  who  would 
have  said — in  the  event  of  our  sup- 
position happening  previous  to  1896 
— The  fact  of  these  names  being  pure- 
ly mythical,  or  representing  only  the 
natural  elements — "This"  our  "Breast- 
ed" would  have  said,  "was  of  course, 
unknown  to  Smith,  but  it  is  a  fact  not 
only  of  my  own  knowledge,  but  also  a 
common  place  of  the  knowledge  of 
every  orientalist  who  works  in  the 
Egyptian  field"  (pamphlet,  p.  25). 
But  again  the  opening  of  a  tomb,  and 
all  this  "knowledge"  vanishes,  and 
the  names  that  were  "myths"  yester- 
day, become  the  names  of  real  person- 
ages today  Much  virtue  in  the  open- 
ing of  a  tomb;  and  the  opening  of 
tombs  in  Egypt  is  not  ended  yet,  nor 
the  results  following  the  opening  of 
tombs. 

But,  to  the  consideration  of  this  ver- 
dict. 

BAD    COPY,    ILLEGIBLE. 

1.  Of  "bad  copying"  of  the  original 
documents,  and  what  may  come  of  it. 
Let  it  be  observed  in  passing  that  the 
genuineness  of  the  facsimiles  is  not  in 
question,  they  are  conceded  to  be 
Egyptian,  though  all  of  the  jury,  save 
one,  insist  that  the  attempt  at  repro- 
duction  has   been   badly   executed. 

"The  hieroglyphics  .  .  .  have  been 
copied  so  ignorantly  that  hardly  one 
of  them  is  correct." 

The  "hieroglyphics,"  again,  "have 
been  transformed  into  unintelligible 
lines.  Hardly  one  of  them  is  copied 
correctly." — Sayce  . 

This  repetition  in  his  letter  in  less 
than  a  dozen  lines. 

"The  inscriptions  are  far  too  badly 
copied  to  be  able  to  read  them."— 
Petrie. 

Commenting  on  figure  "6,"  plate  3, 
Dr.  Breasted  says: 

"The  head should  be  that 

of  a  wolf,  or  jackal,  but  which  is  here 
badly   drawn." 

"Cut  1  and  3  are  inaccurate  copies 
of  well-known  scenes  on  funeral  papy- 
ri."— Mace. 

"The  reproductions  are  very  Lad."— 
Meyer. 


314 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


"The  hieroglyphics  are  merely  illegi- 
ble scratches,  the  imitator  not  having 
the  skill  or  intelligence  to  copy  such  a 
script."— Peters. 

"It  is  impossible  from  Smith's  bad 
facsimiles  to  make  out  any  meaning 
of  the  inscriptions."— Bissing. 

Question:  If  all  this  be  true  of  the 
alleged  facsimiles,  how  may  the  learned 
gentlemen  pronounce  judgment  upon 
them  with  such  certainty?  May  not 
the  differences  noted  in  these  cuts  from 
Egyptian  documents  with  which  they 
are  compared  and  contrasted,  and 
here  assigned  to  bad  copying, 
arise  from  a  real  difference  in 
the  documents  themselves,  due  to  p  "O- 
duction  of  a  different  age,  or  by  a  so- 
journer in  Egypt,  such  as  Abraham 
was?  A  layman's  question,  of  course 
but  I  venture  to  press  it.  M.  Theo- 
dule  Deveria,  a  young  savant  of  the 
Museum  of  the  Louvre,  Paris,  when  the 
same  facsimiles  were  presented  to  him 
for  translation  by  M.  Jules  Remey,  in 
1860— M.  Remey  was  a  French  traveler 
who  visited  Utah  in  1855-6  and  after- 
ward published  his  observations  in  two 
volumes,  largely  devoted  to  Utah  and 
the  "Mormons" — made  the  same  com- 
plaint against  the  facsimiles,  namely, 
that  the  reproduction  was  bad,  that  the 
hieroglyphics  and  figures  in  the  copies 
submitted  to  him  were  in  some  cases 
dim  and  may  not  be  deciphered.  In 
other  cases-  he  insists  that  the  figures 
should  be  different,  and  claims  that 
others  still  have  been  purposely  al- 
tered  in   copying. 

This  is  substantially  the  claim  of  our 
present  learned  jury.  M.  Deveria,  as 
well  as  they,  obtained  a  different  trans- 
lation from  that  given  by  Joseph  Smith; 
upon  which,  elsewhere,  I  have  re- 
marked: "If  it  is  the  facsimiles  thus 
changed  that  M.  Deveria  has  interpret- 
ed, then  of  course  his  interpretation 
would  differ  from  the  translation  made 
by  Joseph  Smith,  who  doubtless  fol- 
lowed strictly  the  papyrus  text.  (Amer- 
icana, N.  Y.,  April,  1911,  p.  377,  note.) 
I  venture  to  make  the  same  comment 
upon  the  work  of  the  jury  of  savants 
now  being  considered. 

HOW  IT  WAS  ENGRAVED. 

And  now  as  to  the  "bad  copying"  and 
purposely  altering  figures  in  the  "fac- 


similes." The  prophet  describes  the 
original  documents  as  "beautifully 
written  on  papyrus,  with  black,  and  a 
small  part  red,  ink  or  paint,  in  perfect 
preservation.  The  characters  are  such 
as  you  find  upon  the  coffins  of  mum- 
mies— hieroglyphics,  etc. — with  many 
characters  or  letters  like  the  present 
(though  probably  not  quite  so  square) 
form  of  the  Hebrew,  without  points." 
(Hist,  of  the  Ch.,  vol.  II,  p.  3  and  8.) 
That  is,  the  most  ancient  form  of  the 
Hebrew.  From  this  it  would  appear 
that  the  original  was  not  defective. 
The  wood  engraving  for  the  cuts 
published  in  The  Times  and  Seasoiib 
(Vol.  Ill,  Nos.  9,  19),wasdoneby  Reu- 
ben Hedlock,  an  engraver  from  Canada. 
John  Taylor,  later  President  Taylor, 
also  from  Canada,  and  a  worker  in 
wood,  was  also  present  and  working 
on  The  Times  and  Seasons  at  the  date 
of  the  publication  of  the  facsimiles,  and 
there  is  little  doubt  but  what  the  wood 
engraving  was  reasonably  well  done. 
As  to  purposely  changing  the  figures 
or  altering  the  text,  that  is  out  of  the 
question,  since  that  would  have  sub- 
jected the  prophet  to  detection  and  ex- 
posure, as  after  the  facsimiles  and  the 
Book  of  Abraham  were  both  published, 
the  mummies,  with  which  the  papyri 
were  found,  and  the  papyri,  were  on 
exhibition  at  the.home  of  the  Prophet's 
parents  at  Nauvoo,  subject  to  the  in- 
spection of  all  who  might  choose  to 
examine  them.  As  late  as  May,  "forty- 
three  days  before  the  death  of  the 
prophet",  in  1844,  they  were  examined 
by  Josiah  Quincy — the  Josiah  of 
"Figures  of  the  Past"  authorship. 
It  is  not,  therefore,  likely  that 
Joseph  Smith  or  his  associates  would 
designedly  change  any  of  the  figures  in 
their  copy  of  these  documents  and  run 
such  risk  of  detection  and  exposure. 

Again  I  say,  such  differences  as  are 
found  to  exist  between  these  facsimiles 
and  similar  documents  with  which  they 
are  compared  by  our  jury  of  savants, 
may  not  arise  from  "bad  copying,"  but 
represent  documents  of  different  com- 
position from  those  with  which  they 
are  compared;  of  different  ages,  and 
executed  by  a  sojourner  in  Egypt,  as 
was  Abraham. 


''JOSEPH   SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


315 


A  Facsimile  from  the  Book  of  Abraham. 


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CUT    NO.    1.      EXPLANATION    OF    ABOVE. 

Fig.  1,  The  Angel  of  the  Lord.  2,  Abraham  fastened  upon  an  altar.  C, 
the  idolatrous  priest  of  Elkenah  attempting  to  offer  up  Abraham  as  a  sacrifice. 
4,  The  altar  for  sacrifice  by  the  idolatrous  priests,  standing  before  the  gods 
of  Elkenah,  Libnah,  Mahmackrah,  Korash,  and  Pharaoh.  5,  the  idolatrous 
god  of  Elkenah.  6.  The  idolatrous  god  of  Libnah.  7,  The  idolatrous  god  of 
Mahmackrah.  8,  The  idolatrous  god  of  Korash.  9,  The  idolatrous  god  of  Pha- 
raoh. 10.  Abraham  in  Egypt.  11,  Designed  to  represent  the  pillars  of  heaven, 
as  understood  by  the  Egyptians.  12,  Raukeeyang.  signifying  expanse,  or  the 
firmament  over  our  heads;  but  in  this  case,  in  relation  to  this  subject,  the 
Egyptians  meant  it  to  signify  Shaumau.  to  be  high,  or  the  heavens,  answer- 
ing to  the  Hebrew  word  Shaumahyeem. 


316 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 
A  Facsimile  from  the  Book  of  Abraham. 


CUT   NO.    2.      EXPLANATION    OF    THE     FOREGOING    CUT. 

Fig.  1.  Kolob,  signifying  the  first  creation,  nearest  to  the  celestial,  or  resi- 
dence of  God.  First  in  government,  the  last  pertaining  to  the  measurement 
of  time.  The  measurement  according  to  celestial  time,  which  celestial  time 
signifies  one  day  to  a  cubit.  One  day  in  Kolob  is  equal  to  a  thousand  years, 
according  to  the  measurement  of  this  earth,  which  is  called  by  the  Egyptians 
Jah-oh-eh. 

Fig.  2.  Stands  next  to  Kolob,  called  by  the  Egyptians  Oliblish,  which  is  the 
next  grand  governing  creation  near  to  the  celestial  or  the  place  where  God 
resides;  holding  the  key  of  power  also,  pertaining  to  other  planets;  as  re- 
vealed from  God  to  Abraham,  as  he  offered  sacrifice  upon  an  altar,  which  he 
had  built  unto  the  Lord. 

Fig.  3.  Is  made  to  represent  God  sitting  upon  his  throne,  clothed  with 
power  and  authority;  with  a  crown  of  eternal  light  upon  his  head;  represent- 
ing also  the  grand  Key- Words  of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  as  revealed  to  Adam 
in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  as  also  to  Seth,  Noah,  Melchisedeck,  Abraham,  and  all 
to  whom  the  Priesthood  was  revealed. 

Fig.  4.  Answers  to  the  Hebrew  word  Raukeeyang  signifying  expanse,  or 
the  firmament  of  the  heavens;  also  a  numerical  figure,  in  Egyptian  signify- 
ing one  thousand;  answering  to  the  measuring  of  the  time  of  Oliblish,  which 
is  equal  with  Kolob  in  its  revolution  and  in  its  measuring  of  time. 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


317 


Fig.  5.  Is  called  in  Egyptian  Enish-go-on-dosh;  this  is  one  of  the  govern- 
ing- planets  also,  and  is  said  by  the  Egyptians  to  be  the  Sun,  and  to  borrow 
its  light  from  Kolob  through  the  medium  of  Kae-e-vanrash,  which  is  the  grand 
key,  or  in  other  words,  the  governing  power,  which  ^overns  15  other  fixed 
planets  or  stars,  as  also  Floeese  or  the  Moon,  the  Earth  and  the  Sun  in  their 
annual  revolutions.  This  planet  receives  its  power  through  the  medium  of 
Kli-flos-is-es,  or  Hah-ko-kau-beam,  the  stars  represented  by  numbers  22  and 
23,  receiving  light  from  the  revolutions  of  Kolob. 

Pig.  6.    Represents  the  earth  in  its  four  quarters. 

Fig.  7.  Represents  God  sitting  upon  his  throne  revealing  through  the 
heavens  the  grand  Key-Words  of  the  Priesthood;  as  also,  the  sign  of  the  Holy- 
Ghost  unto  Abraham,  in  the  form  of  a  dove. 

Fig.  8.  Contains  writing  that  cannot  be  revealed  unto  the  world;  but  is 
to  be  had  in  the  Holy  Temple  of  God. 

Fig.   9.    Ought   not   to   be   revealed  at  the  present  time. 

Fig.   10.     Also. 

Pig  11.  Also.  If  the  world  can  find  out  these  numbers,  so  let  it  be. 
Amen. 

Figs.  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  and  20,  will  be  given  in  the  own  due  time 
of  the  Lord. 

The  above  translation  is  given  as  far  as  we  have  any  right  to  give,  at  the 
present  time. 

Plate  from  the  Berlin  Museum  Collection, 

In  the  New  York  Time*  of  I  December  29th.  1912. 


Magic  Disk  for  use  under  mummy's  head.      Note  similarity  to  Plate   No-  4(2)    from  "The 
Pearl  of  Grea  Price." 


318 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


A  Facsimile  from  the  Book  of  Abraham. 


CUT    N.    3.      EXPLANATION    OF    THE    ABOVE    CUT. 

1.  Abraham  sitting  upon  Pharaoh's  throne,  by  the  politeness  of  the  king 
with  a  crown  upon  his  head,  representing  the  Priesthood,  as  emblematical  of 
the  '  rand  Presidency  in  Heaven;  with  the  sceptre  of  justice  and  judgment  in 
his  hand. 

2.  King   Pharaoh,   whose   name   is  given  in  the  characters  above  his  head. 

3.  Signifies  Abraham  in  Egypt;  referring  to  Abraham,  as  given  in  the 
ninth  number  of  the  Times  and  Seasons.  (Also  as  given  in  the  first  fac-simile 
of  this  book). 

4.  Prince    of    Pharaoh,    King   of   Egypt,  as  written  above  the  hand. 

5.  Shulem,  one  of  the  king's  principal  waiters,  as  represented  by  the  char- 
acters above  his  hand. 

6.  Olimlah,  a  slave  belonging  to  the  prince. 

Abraham  is  reasoning  upon  the  principles  of  astronomy,  in  the  king's 
'  "urt. 


"JOSEPH  SMI' 


JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


319 


And  this,  too,  might  have  an  impor- 
tant bearing  upon  the  date  of  the  docu- 
ments which  our  jury  insists  "are  all 
many  centuries  later  than  Abraham: 
.  .  .  about  960  to  750  B.  C."— Petrie. 
Such  documents  as  facsimile  No.  2, 
said  by  the  jury  to  be  a  sort  of  funeral 
tablet,  in  common  use,  "did  not  appear 
in  any  Egyptian  burials  until  over  a 
thousand  years  after  the  time  of  Abra- 
ham."— Breasted.  Of  facsimile  No.  3, 
also  related  to  funeral  uses— of  which 
there  are  many  of  the  kind— "yet  it 
may  be  stated  as  certain  that  the 
scene  was  unknown  until  about  500 
years  after  Abraham's  day."— Breasted. 
It  is  fortunate  for  Joseph  Smiths 
claims  that  the  learned  jury  did  not  de- 
cide that  the  documents  were  of  more 
ancient  date  than  Abraham,  for  that 
would  have  presented  a  real  difficulty, 
but  being  this  side  of  his  day,  he  may 
have  been  the  author  of  such  docu- 
ments, though  copies  of  them  may  not 
have  been  multiplied  until  centuries 
later. 

Since  the  above  appeared   in  print, 
the   New   York   Times   has   devoted   a 
page  and  a  half  of  its  valuable  space 
to   this  subject,    and   with   sensational 
headlines     announced    how    "Museum 
walls      proclaim    fraud    of      'Mormon' 
Prophet."     The  tone  of  the  Times  ar- 
ticle  in   general   is   in   sympathy   with 
Bishop    Spalding's   jury,    and    contrib- 
utes its  voice     against    the    Prophet. 
The  article  is  illustrated  with  cuts,  one 
of    the    "Mormon"    temple,    the    three 
facsimiles  from  the  Book  of  Abraham, 
and    a    circular    disc    from    the    Berlin 
museum      collection,     and     invites    its 
readers  to  note  similarity  to  plate  No. 
4    (the   number      it     gives    to    circular 
plate     No.     2    in    the    Pearl  of  Great 
Price).     It  is  only  reasonable  to  pre- 
sume that  after  all  the  claims  that  are 
made  of  this  circular  disc  of  the  Book 
of  Abraham   being  practically   identi- 
cal with  the  funerary  discs  plentifully 
found  in  Egyptian  tombs  and  modern 
museums,       the      one      most      nearly 
resembling  the  Book  of  Abraham  disc 
was  selected  by  the  Times  writer  for 
reproduction,  in  fac-simile.     That  be- 
ing granted   as   reasonable,   I   for   one 
thank  the  Times  writer  for  giving  me 


the  opportunity  of  putting  these  two 
discs  side  by  side  in  this  article  for 
comparison  and  contrast,  and  they  are 
accordingly   published   herewith. 

Two   things  are   established   by   this 
opportunity  for  comparison  and  con- 
trast;   first   that   the   fac-similes   plate 
from  the  Book  of  Abraham  is  not  un- 
skillfully   executed  as  charged.     As  a 
bit  of  art  engraving  it  is  in  every  way 
superior    to    the    reproduction    of    the 
Times  plate  fac-simile  from  the  Berlin 
Museum.     There  is  nothing  incongru- 
ous between  detail  and  general  plan, 
as  there  doubtless  would  be  if  any  of 
the   pictographs   had    been    designedly 
changed   as   is   charged    in    respect    of 
this    plate      (Deveria),     or    "copied  so 
ignorantly  that  hardly  one  of  them  is 
correct"    (Sayce.)     And   I  leave  it  to 
the  reader  to  say  if  in  those  parts  that 
are   most     nearly     alike   in   the      two 
fac-similes  the  artistic  execution  is  not 
superior  in  the  Book  of  Abraham  disc. 
The     second     thing     established    by 
publishing  the  fac-similes  of  these  two 
plates   side   by   side,    is   that   they  are 
not  identical  plates.     That  while  there 
are     certain    similarities    in    the  two, 
enough  to  show  that  they  may  in  part 
treat     of    the    same    general  subjects 
(and   that  is  what  is  required  by   the 
circumstances  as  we  shall   later_see); 
yet  the  similarity  is  not  so  marked  as 
to  the  distinctive  features  between  the 
two    (and  that  is  what  is  required  by 
the  circumstances  as  we  shall  present- 
ly see).     To   establish  this  distinction 
in  the  conviction  of  the  reader,  let  him 
take  the  middle  line  of  combined  pic- 
tographs  and   hieroglyphics  and   con- 
sider them.     While  the  central  figure 
has  enough  similarity  to   indicate  the 
same -idea,  yet  in  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham     pictograph     there     is     but     one 
disced,      dog-headed    like    animal    on 
each      side;     and    then     four   lines  of 
closely  written   hieroglyphics  on   each 
side.      In    the    Berlin    plate    there    are 
three   dog-like  animals  on  each  side, 
and    no    hieroglyphics,    except   two    or 
three.     In  the  central  figure  on  the  tcp 
line  there  is  marked  similarity;  but  in 
the  Book  of  Abraham  fac-simile  there 
is  a  perpendicular  line  of  hieroglyph- 
ics, and  other  details  absent  from  the 
Berlin  plate.     Note  also  the  difference 


320 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


in  the  two  plates  as  to  the  pictographs 
to  the  right  of  this  central  figure.  A 
comparison  of  the  hieroglyphics 
circling  the  rim  of  the  plate  will  also 
show  distinctiveness;  and  there  are  a 
number  of  others,  but  this  is  sufficient 
to  start  the  reader  in  making  his  com- 
parisons and  contrasts. 

Again,  respecting  these  differences  in 
the  fac-similies  from  the  Book  of 
Abraham  and  the  Egyptian  documents 
of  the  museums,  relating  perhaps,  at 
least,  to  similar  subjects,  and  with 
which  our  jury  of  savants  compare  and 
contrast  the  fac-similies  Riven  out  by 
Joseph  Smith:  I  am  of  opinion  that 
the  Book  of  Abraham  itself  gives  a 
key  which  may  lead  to  a  solution  of  the 
matter.  In  that  record  we  are  in- 
formed that  the  first  Pharaoh,  son  of 
Egyptus,  the  daughter  of  Ham,  was  a 
righteous  man,  but  being  of  the  race, 
that  was  denied  the  right  to  the  priest- 
hood, which  had  obtained  among  the 
ancient  patriarchs,  he  nevertheless  es- 
tablished his  kingdom  and  judged  his 
people  wisely  and  justly  all  his  days, 
seeking  earnestly  to  imitate  that  order 
(i.  e.  of  the  priesthood)  established  by 
the  fathers  in  the  first  generations,  in 
the  days  of  the  first  patriarchal  reign, 
"even  in  the  reign  of  Adam,  and  also  of 
Noah."  Allowing  this  in  the  account, 
and  it  may  not  be  denied  its  place, 
then  we  of  the  "Mormon"  side  of  the 
controversy  have  the  right  to  say: 
"Differences  in  these  leaves  form  the 
Book  of  Abraham  and  the  leaves  from 
the  Book  of  the  Dead  in  your  mu- 
seums, and  in  the  hands  of  your  sa- 
ants?  Yes,  certainly;  for  our  fac- 
similies  were  written  by  one  holding 
the  true  and  ligitimate  order  of  the 
priesthood,  and  capable  of  representing 
in  pictographs  and  hieroglyphics  of 
his  times  its  true  signs  and  insignia, 
and  history;  what  you  find  in 
the  tombs  of  Egyptians  kings 
and  priests,  and  upon  the  walls 
of  Egyptian  temples,  is  but  an 
imitation  of  that  ancient  order  of 
things  of  which  book  our  documents 
speak,  but  yours,  doubtless,  inaccura- 
tely from  the  first,  being  but  an  imita- 
tion, and  that  imitation  (again  doubt- 
lessly)   varied   from,    in   the   course   of 


years   while   our  record  has   remained 
uncorrupted.     Hence  the  differences. 

II — DISAGREEMENTS  AMONG  THE 
JURY  OF  SAVANTS. 

Plate  I. — As  to  the  whole  plate: 
"The  well  known  scene  of      Anubis 

preparing   the   body   of   a   dead   man." 

— Petrie. 

"Apparently  the  plate  represents  an 
embalmer  [name  evidently  unknown — 
just  a  common  undertaker,  perhaps. 
R.]  preparing  a  body  for  burial." — Pe- 
ters. 

"Parts  of  the  well  known  Book  of  the 
Dead." — Meyer. 

"This  figure  represents  Osiris  rais- 
ing from  the  dead."  (!) — Breasted. 

Judging  from  the  plate  itself,  if  I 
were  on  the  jury,  I  should  vote  with 
Breasted,  for  surely  the  whole  scene  is 
too  animated  for  the  embalming  of  the 
dead.  The  main  figure  on  the  bedstead- 
like altar,  with  both  hands  raised  in 
protest,  and  one  foot  up,  is  evidently 
not  ready  for  the  supposed  embalming 
process  that  Petrie  and  Peters  think  is 
under  way.  It  should  be  observed,  too, 
that  the  figure  to  be  "embalmed"  is 
clothed,  and  presumably  in  his  right 
mind  judging  from  the  expression 
of  the  open  and  rather  intelligent 
expression  of  the  "  eye.  It  is 
more  like  a  book  of  the  living 
than  of  the  "dead;"  more  like  re- 
sistance to  an  assassin,  as  Joseph 
Smith  depicts  it,  an  attempt  to  offer 
the  patriarch  Abraham  as  a  sacrifice 
to  false  gods — than  either  an  embalm- 
ing scene  or  a  resurrection. 

As  to  the  separate  figures  on  plat  I: 
Figure  1 — The  hawk-like  bird. 

"The  hawk  of  Horus." — Petrie. 

"A  bird  in  which  form  Isis  is  repre- 
sented"— Breasted  ("The  hawk  of 
Horus"  and  this  alleged  representation 
of  Isis  cannot  be  regarded  as  identical 
or  as  having  anything  in  common,  since 
Isis  was  the  sister  and  wife  of  Osiris. 
and  the  mother  of  Horus;  and  Horus  a 
solar  deity,  the  avenger  of  his  father — 
see  Rawlinson  and  others.     R.) 

"The  soul  (Kos)  is  flying  away  in 
the    form    of    a    bird" — Peters. 

"The  soul  in  the  shape  of  a  bird  is 
flying  above  it"  (i.  e.  the  body) — 
Meyer. 

"The  soul  is  leaving  the  body  in  the 
moment  when  the  priest  (3)  is  opening 
the  body  with  a  knife  for  mummifac- 
tion" — Bissing. 


"JOSEPH  SMITH.  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


321 


SOUL    OF   OSIRIS. 

To  these  diverse  interpretations  or 
this  figure  1,  I  add  that  of  M.  Deveria: 
"The  soul  of  Osiris,  under  the  form  of 
a  hawk."  He  also  adds,  in  parenthesis, 
that  the  hawk  "should  have  a  human 
head."  Yes,  or  the  head  of  an  ass, 
then  it  could  be  made  to  mean  some- 
thing else  than  what  these  other  learn- 
ed men  describe  it  as  meaning.  De- 
veria also  says  that  "figure  3"— which 
Breasted  calls  an  "officiating  priest;" 
Meyer  "a  priest  approaching  it"  (i.  e. 
the  "bier");  and  Peters,  an  "embalm- 
'er" — Deveria,  I  say,  calls  "figure  3" 
"The  God  of  Anubis."  With  this  Petrie, 
of  Bishop  Spalding's  jury,  agrees;  ex- 
cept that  Deveria  says  he  is  "effecting 
the  resurrection  of  Osiris,"  and  Petrie 
that  "he  is  the  conductor  of  the  souls 
of  the  dead."  Petrie  makes  no  com- 
plaint against  the  form  of  "figure  3," 
but  Deveria  insists  that  he  "should 
have  a  jackal's  head."  Yes,  or  some 
other  change  might  be  suggested,  and 
by  such  process  some  other  meaning 
may  be  read  into  the  plate  and  make  it 
different  from  the  translation  of  Joseph 
Smith. 

Let  us  all  stand  together  here  a  mo- 
ment— this  jury  of  savants,  and  M.  De- 
veria, and  also  you  and  I,  bishop,  let  us 
Tor  a  moment  join  the  group,  though 
we  be  no  savants  we  need  not  be  much 
abashed  for  the  moment;  and  let  the 
"mad  Hamlet"  instruct  us: 

Polonius,  the  tiresome  old  courtier, 
has  been  sent  to  bring  Prince  Hamlet 
to  the  presence  of  his  mother,  then — 

"Hamlet:     Do  you   see  yonder  cloud 

that's  almost  the  shape  of  a  camel?" 
"Polonius:     By  the  mass,  and  'tis  like 

a  camel,  indeed." 
"Hamlet:      Methinks     it     is     like      a 

weasel." 
"Polonius:  It  is  backed  like  a  weasel." 
"Hamlet:     Or  like  a  whale?" 
"Polonius:    Very   like    a   whale." 
"Hamlet:      Then   I    will   ccme   to   my 

mother  by  and  by." 

All  right,  bishop,  for  one,  I  will 
change  my  belief  in  Joseph  Smith's 
translation  of  these  Egyptian  plates, 
"by  and  by,"  perhaps,  but  it  will  not 
be  until  there  is  more  harmony  among 
your  Egyptologists.     After  this  digres- 


sion let  us  proceed,  for  there  is  more 
to  follow.  I  continue  with  plate  No. 
1,     Figure  2: 

"The  dead  person"— PETRIE. 

"The  body  of  the  dead  lying  aba' 
(bier)"— MEYER. 

"The  dead  man  is  lying  abier"— BIS- 
SING. 

"The  reclining  figure  lifts  one  foot 
and  both  arms.  This  figure  represents 
Osiris  rising  from  the  dead!" — 
BREASTED. 

"Osiris  coming  to  life  on  his  funeral 
couch !  "—DEVERIA. 

Again,  were  I  on  the  jury,  I  should 
in  this  case  vote  with  Breasted  and 
Deveria,  for  the  figure  discussed  rep- 
resents a  very  life-like  attitude  for  a 
corpse.  If  Mark  Twain  was  comment- 
ing on  the  alleged  "dead  man"  he 
would  doubtless  say  that  the  report 
of  his  being  dead  was  "very  much  ex- 
aggerated." 

If  our  good  bishop  was  in  any  way 
responsible  for  all  this  confusion  of 
interpretation  of  the  plates,  I  should 
laugh  outright,  for  he  is  no  more  of 
an  Egyptologist  than  I  am;  but  as  it 
is  a  learned  jury  of  savants  that  have 
each  other  by  the  ears,  it  will  be  be- 
coming in  me  to  place  my  hand  over 
my  mouth  and  stand  demure,  as  I  do 
now. 

Explanations  of  plates  2  and  3  are 
not  as  extended  as  in  the  case  of  this 
plate  No.  1,  for  which  reason,  I  take 
it,  there  is  less  conflict  and  more  gen- 
eral agreement  among  members  of 
the  jury  than  in  the  explanations  of 
plate  No.  1.  But  we  have  tne  dictum, 
on  the  high  authority  of  Dr.  Sayce  of 
Oxford,  that  the  hieroglyphic?  of  plate 
No.  3  "have  been  transformed  into 
unintelligible  lines;"  "that  hardly  one 
cf  them  is  copied  correctly,"  and  how 
what  it  stands  for,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, is  to  be  made  out  is  dif- 
ficult for  the  lay  mind  to  comprehend. 
It  should  also  be  remembered  that 
these  savants  in  their  interpretation 
of  the  facsimiles  are  pointing  out 
what  they  conceive  to  be  the  meaning 
of  some  few  of  the  principal  figures 
but  give  us  no  translation  of  what 
might  be  thought,  by  the  layman,  to 
be  the  "script"  of  the  text,  namely, 
the   small    characters  around   the   bor- 


322 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


der  of  the  circular  disc,  as  also  around 
and  within  the  main  part  of  the  other 
facsimiles.  If,  as  one  of  the  jury  de- 
clares (Mace),  "Egyptian  characters 
can  now  be  read  almost  as  easily  as 
Greek,"  one  wonders  how  it  is  that 
one  or  other  of  the  plates  was  not 
completely  translated,  and  its  story 
"exhaustively  told.  Can  it  be  that 
Egyptologists  are  not  as  sure  of  their 
knowledge  of  ancient  Egyptian  script 
as  the  above  remark  of  Dr.  Mace 
would  lead  us  to  think  they  are?  Is 
not  our  knowledge  of  the  Egyptian 
records  still  in  its  swaddling  band  of 
infancy?  What  is  said  of  plate  No. 
2,  however,  is  more  important  for  an- 
other reason  than  for  disagreements 
among  our  jury  of  savants,  and 
which  I  now  proceed  to   point  out. 

III.— IMPORTANT  CONFIRMATION 
OF  JOSEPH  SMITH'S  DECLARA- 
TIONS WITH  REFERENCE  TO 
PLATE   NO.   2. 

"No.  2  is  one  of  the  usual  discs  with 
magic  inscriptions  placed  beneath  the 
head  of  the  dead."— PETRIE. 

"Cut  No.  2  is  a  copy  of  one  of  the 
magical  discs  which  in  the  late  Egyp- 
tian period  were  placed  undei  the  head 
of  the  mummies." — MACE. 

"Facsimile  No.  2  *  *  *  is  commonly 
called  among  Egyptologists  a  hypo- 
cephalus.  It  was  placed  under  the 
head  of  the  mummy,  and  the  various 
representations  upon  it  were  of  a  mag- 
ical power  designed  to  assist  the  de- 
ceased in  various  ways,  especially  to 
prevent  the  loss  of  his  head."— 
BREASTED. 

It  .is  proper  to  say  that  our  "jury- 
man" adds:  "These  did  not  come  into 
use  until  the  late  centuries,  just  before 
the  Christian  era."  (For  an  explana- 
tion of  which  see  the  paragraph  quot- 
ed from  Reynolds  later.) 

Figure  1.  in  the  Book  of  Abraham 
fac-simile  plate  no.  2,  is  interpreted 
by    Deveria    to    be: 

"The  spirit  of  the  four  elements, 
or  rather  of  the  four  winds,  or  the 
four  cardinal  points;  the  soul  of  the 
terrestial    world." 

Figure  2,  same  plate;  "Amon  Ra 
with  two  human  heads,  meant  prob- 
ably to  represent  both  the  invisible 
or  mysterous  principle  of  Amnion,  and 
the  visible  or  luminous  principle  of 
Ra,   the  sun;    or  else  the   double  and 


simulatneous  principle   of     father  and 

son. 

Figure  3:  "The  God  Ra,  the  sun, 
with  a  hawk's  head  seated  in  his 
boat.  In  the  field  the  two  symbol- 
ical figures  according  to  M.  de 
Rouge,  the  fixed  points  of  an  astron- 
omical  period." 

Figure  5;  "The  mystic  cow,  the 
great  cow,  symbolizing  the  inferior 
hemisphere   of   the   heavens." 

Joseph  Smith's  explanation  of  this  No. 
2  circular  disc  is  that  it  deals  with 
the  science  of  astronomy,  and  wtth 
sacred  mysteries.  For  the  former  see 
his  explanations  of  figures  1,  2,  4,  5, 
6 ;  circular  disc  and  for  the  latter, 
the  sacred  mysteries — see  his  ex- 
planation of  figure  8 — "contains  writing 
that  cannot  be  revealed  unto  the  world 
but  is  to  be  had  in  the  Holy  Temple  of 
God."  "Figure  9  ought  not  to  be  re- 
vealed at  the  present  time;  figure  10 
also.  Figure  11  also;  if  the  world  can 
find  out  these  numbers,  so  let  it  be. 
Amen."  "Figures  12-20  will  be  given  in 
the  own  due  time  of  the  Lord."  "Figure 
3,"  the  prophet  says,  "is  made  to  repre- 
sent God,  sitting  upon  his  throne, 
clothed  with  power  and  authority,  with 
a  crown  of  eternal  light  upon  his  head; 
representing  also  the  grand  key  words 
of  the  holy  priesthood  as  revealed  to 
Adam  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  as  also 
to  Seth,  Noah,  Melchizedek,  Abraham, 
and  all  to  whom  the  priesthood  was  re- 
vealed." 

"Figure  7,"  the  Prophet  also  declares, 
"represents  God  sitting  upon  his  throne 
revealing  through  the  heavens  the 
grand  key  words  of  the  priesthood;  as, 
also,  the  sign  of  the  Holy  Ghost  unto 
Abraham,  in  the  form  of  a  dove." 

To  the  idea  of  this  plate  being  "sa- 
cred" or  possessed  of  "magical"  power 
"designed  to  assist  the  deceased  in 
various  ways,  especially  to  prevent 
the  loss  of  his  head,"  and  parts  of  it 
not  to  be  revealed  unto  the  world,  and 
some  of  it  only  in  holy  places — to  all 
this,  several  of  cur  jury  of  savants 
give  contributing  evidence.  But  how 
came  Joseph  Smith  by  this  knowledge, 
that  this  plate  treated  of  these  two 
things, Astronomy  and  sacred  mysteries 
if  not  by  "inspiration,"  for  confes- 
sedly he  did  not  obtain  it  by  Egyptian 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


323 


scholarship?  Neither  could  he  by 
searching  find  it  out,  as  no  means  of 
interpreting  the  Egyptian  hieroglyphics 
was  at  hand  until  the  publication  of 
Champollion's  Elementary  Egyptian 
Grammar  was  issued,  which  did  not 
come  from  the  press  until  1841;  and 
the  Book  of  Abraham  and  these  fac- 
similes were  published  in  March,  1842. 
It  is  safe  to  say  that  Joseph  Smith 
never  saw  Champollion's  grammar,  pre- 
vious to  the  publication  of  the  Book 
of  Abraham  if  at  all. 

On  this  whole  matter  of  fac-simile 
No.  2,  the  late  George  Reynolds  has 
an  enlightening  passage: 

•It  has  been  urged  as  an  argument 
against  the  veracity  of  the  translation 
by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  of  the 
circular  cut  or  disc,  but  why,  we  cannot 
comprehend,  that  numerous  copies  of  it 
exist,  scattered  among  museums  of 
Europe.  These  copies  have  been  found 
buried  with  numerous  mummies  in  tne 
same  way  as  the  one  that  fell  into  the 
Prophet's  hands.  Instead  of  being  an 
argument  against  the  truthfulness  of 
the  translation  given  by  Joseph  Smith, 
we  consider  it  a  very  strong  one  in  its 
favor.  For  this  reason,  Egyptologists 
acknowledge  that  some  peculiar  poten- 
cy was  ascribed  to  it  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  but  their  ideas  are  very 
vague  as  to  in  what  that  power  con- 
sisted 

"It  was  customary  with  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  Egypt  to  enshroud  their 
dead  in  hieroglyphic  wrappings,  on 
which  various  facts  relating  to  the  life 
of  the  deceased  were  narrated.  This 
writing  was  addressed  to  Osiris,  the 
chief  lord  of  Amenti,  the  land  of  tne 
departed,  and  amongst  other  things 
it  stated  that  the  acts  of  the  Osir,  tne 
deceased,  had  been  scrutinized  by  the 
seven  inquisitors  appointed  to  investi- 
gate the  lives  of  men,  and  that  he  was 
found  worthy  to  pass  by  those  who 
guarded  the  gates  of  the  eternal 
worlds,  and  partake  of  the  blessings  of 
the  saved. 

"Accompanying  the  mummy  is  also 
often  found  this  sacred  disc,  or  hy- 
pocephalus,  as  the  learned  term  it, 
which,  if  we  mistake  not,  was  usually 
placed  under  or  near  the  head  of  the 
mummy.  The  translations  given  by 
the  professedly  learned  convey  no  idea 
■why  this  was  so  placed,  but  the  reve- 
lations through  our  martyred  prophet, 
|1j at  it  contains  the  key  words  of  the 
holy  priesthood,  at  once  makes  the 
reason  plain.  The  Egyptians  buried 
this  disc  containing  these  sacred 
words  with  their  dead,  for  very  much 
the   same   reason  that  the   Saints  bury 


their   dead    in   the   robes   of   the     holy 
priesthood. 

"No  doubt  the  true  meaning  of  these 
'key  words'  was  soon  lost  among  the 
Egyptians,  but  they  knew  enough  to 
understand  something  of  their  value, 
and  as  ages  rolled  on,  their  apostate 
priesthood  doubtlessly  invented  some 
myth  to  take  their  place."— The  Bouk 
or  Abraham.  Its  Authenticity  estab- 
lished as  a  Divine  and  Ancient  Record, 
1870,   George  Reynolds,  pp.  21,  22. 

In  passing  I  would  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  this  book  by  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds has  been  very  much  neglected  by 
the  Latter-day  Saints.  Bishop  Spal- 
ding seems  not  to  be  aware  of  its  ex- 
istence, else  I  feel  sure  he  would  not 
have  remarked  that  the  "Mormons" 
bad  paid  little  attention  to  the  claims 
of  M.  Deveria,  referred  to  in  M.  Re- 
mey's  books.  And  if  Bishop  Spalding's 
brochure  shall  result  in  attracting  any 
general  attention  to  this  very  able 
work  of  the  late  George  Reynolds,  the 
"Mormons"  may  forgive  the  bishop 
for  the  slight  shock  he  maj  moment- 
arily have  given  them  by  hurling  at 
their  heads  the  opinions  of  his  jury  of 
savants  on  the  translations  of  their 
Prophet.  I  commend  the  book  of  Mr. 
Reynolds  to  all  interested  in  tne  sub- 
ject, especially  for  its  careful  and 
scholarly  treatment  of  tne  interna) 
evidences  of  this  fragment  of  the 
"Mormon"  Prophet's  work.  But  to 
return  now  to  our  argument. 

Of  the  value  of  this  incidental  con- 
firmation of  the  Prophet  Joseph's 
declaration  concerning  the  general 
character  of  circular  disc  No.  2,  es- 
pecially in  the  significant  passage  of 
Dr.  Breasted,  we  at  least  may  say  mat 
we  are  more  than  compensated  for 
what  else  of  damage  it  may  be  thought 
has  been  inflicted  upon  the  standing 
of  Joseph  Smith  as  a  translator  of 
ancient  records  by  the  testimony  of 
this  group  of  Egyptologists. 
PURPOSE  OP  BISHOP  SPALDING. 
I  have  a  mild,  but  at  the  same  time, 
1  trust,  only  a  respectful  curiosity, 
to  know  what  interest  Bishop  Spalding 
can  have  in  the  question  of  Joseph 
Smith's  accuracy  as  a  translator,  or 
the  historicity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
or    of    the    Book    of    Abraham.      A«    » 


324 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


understand  his  position, he  follows  those 
who  go  to  the  farthest  frontiers  of 
research  in  modern,  or  higher,  crit- 
icism of  the  ancient  Hebrew  and 
Christian  scriptures;  and  fearlessly  ac- 
cepts the  results  of  that  school  of 
thought,  up  to  the  point  of  believing 
with  many  of  its  leaders  that  religion 
may  be  founded  and  become  a  reality 
in  the  world,  notwithstanding  defective 
historical    origins. 

If  I  am  right  in  this  opinion  of  his 
mental  attitude  in  respect  to  this  sub- 
ject, and  I  should  be  sorry  to  mistake 
his  position,  then  I  might  ask  of  what 
importance  to  him  is  the  objective  ex- 
istence of  the  plates  of  which  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  said  to  be  a  translation; 
or  the  genuineness  of  the  Egyptian 
rolls  of  papyrus,  from  which  it  is  al- 
leged Joseph  Smith  translated  the  Book 
of  Abraham,  or  what  matters  it  if  Jo- 
seph Smith  was  or  was  not  an  accurate 
translator  of  ancient  records,  Egyptian 
or  otherwise?  If  the  recent  deductions 
of  higher  criticism  be  accepted,  and  I 
understand  the  bishop  to  accept  them, 
then  these  questions  that  concern  them- 
selves with  objective  existences,  histor- 
icity, and  even  accuracy  of  translations, 
or  any  translation  at  all,  are  merely 
matters  of  minor  importance,  the  mere 
scaffolding  of  realities  and  not  the  real- 
ities themselves,  and  really  not  vital. 
Allow  me  to  explain:  One  of  the  most 
emphatic  utterances  of  higher  criticism 
says: 

"The  time  has  come  when  it  seems 
necessary  deliberately  to  raise  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  story  which  we  have 
in  the  four  gospels  of  the  birth,  life, 
death,  resurrection  and  ascension  of 
their  central  figure,  was  designed  by 
their  authors  to  be  taken  as  literal 
history.  The  higher  criticism,  indeed, 
is  forcing  this  question  to  the  front, 
and  the  time  does  not  seem  far  dis- 
tnnt  when  all  sections  of  the  church 
will  have  to  face  it." 

The  result  of  the  higher  criticism  on 
the  New  Testament  he  describes  as  fol- 
lows: 

"But  the  result  has  been  to  show  in 
almost  if  not  every  part  of  scripture 
that  what  we  have  is  not  history  prop- 
er; that  the  author's  purpose  was  not 
to  write  history,  but  to  edify,  to  teach 
some  religious  truth  which  he  regard- 
ed as  all-important As  a  result 


of  the  work  of  the  higher  criticism, 
the  four  gospels  are  a  complete  wreck 
as  historical  records.  *  *  *  *  As  au- 
thorities for  the  life  of  Jesus  they  are 
hopelessly  shattered  by  the  assaults  of 
the  higher  criticism.  How  little  they 
tell  us  of  an  historic  Jesus!  *  *  * 
There  is  only  one  way  in  which  Chris- 
tianity can  survive,  and  that  is  by  the 
surrender  of  its  claim  of  being  a  his- 
torical religion,  and  the  placing  of  it 
on  a  purely  spiritual  foundation."    * 

Our  author  argues  as  follows  foi 
this  position: 

"Why  not  listen  to  the  mystic  who 
tells  us  that  it  is  nothing  less  than 
idolatry  to  fix.  our  thought  and  wor- 
ship on  a  historical  Jesus,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  have  lived  in  Palestine  two 
thousand  years  ago,  that  a  fiesh-and- 
blood  Jesus  is  a  contradiction  in  terms, 
and  that  what  the  gospel  writers  in- 
tended to  give  the  world  was  not  his- 
tory or  biography,  but  spiritual  alle- 
gory or  drama."  (!)  (Rev.  K.  C.  An- 
derson, D  D.,  Hibbert  Journal,  Janu- 
ary,  1911.) 

Now,  if  I  am  right  as  to  the  bishop's 
attitude  on  the  matter  of  higher  criti- 
cism, why  does  he  not  treat  Mormon- 
ism  as  such  criticism  treats  Judaism 
and  Christianity;  not  on  the  ground  of 
its  historicity,  or  the  accuracy  of  its 
translated  documents,  but  from  the 
conception  that  Joseph  Smith's  pur- 
pose, as  higher  critics  say  the  purpose 
of  the  New  Testament  writers  was, 
"not  to  write  history,  but  to  edify,"  to 
teach  some  religious  truth  "which 
they  regarded  as  all  important;"  not 
to  give  out  correct  translations  of  an- 
cient documents,  but  to  give  the  world 
some  "spiritual  allegory,  or  drama." 

The  above  is  written,  not  to  seek  to 
shift  the  basis  of  the  argument,  be- 
cause I  would  escape  the  difficulties 
involved  in  the  "Mormon"  side  of  the 
controversy,  but  just  to  point  out  the 
fact  to  the  respected  bishop,  that 
however  much  others  may  call  in 
question  the  historical  facts  in  which 
"Mormonism"  had  its  origin;  the  ob- 
jective existence  of  the  plates,  from 
which  it  is  alleged  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  translated;  or  the  accuracy 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph  as  a  translator 
of  either  the  Book  of  Abraham  or  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  his  school  of  thought  to  take  us  to 
task  on  these  questions,  since  he  must 
regard  them  as  not  at  all  vital  to  the 
maintenance  of  the  real  truth  of  "Mor- 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


325 


monism."  Hence  for  him,  upon  re- 
flection, his  performance  in  the  adroitly 
prepared  argument  against  Joseph 
Smith  as  a  translator,  must  ever  be 
apropos  to  nothing. 

PLEA  TN  BAR. 

I  trust  that  without  laying  myself 
open  to  the  charge  of  egotism,  I  may 
claim  that  the  modest  task  proposed  at 
the  outset  of  this  writing  has  been 
achieved,  namely,  that  a  successful 
plea  has  been  made  in  bar  of  final 
conclusions  upon  the  questions  in- 
volved in  Bishop  Spalding's  criticism 
of  Joseph  Smith  as  a  translator;  that 
the  case  against  the  "Mormon"  Prophet 
is  not  quite  so  formidable  as  it  at  first 
appeared  to  be;  and  that  my  readers 
will  find  sufficient  reasons  herein  .'set 
forth  to  cause  them  to  suspend  judg- 
ment until  some  more  worthy  consid- 
eration may  be  given  to  the  bishop's 
brochure — until  those  more  compe- 
tent, both  in  scholarship,  and  in  ana- 
lytical power,  and  skill  in  such 
learned  controversy,  may  find  oppor- 
tunity to  give  the  subject  the  atten- 
tion it  deserves. 

Meantime,  I  would  suggest  to  my 
own  people  that  they  should  remem- 
ber that  there  is  a  wide  difference  be- 
tween the  thing  that  one  may  not  be 
able  to  explain  and  the  thing  which 
overthrows  his  theory  altogether. 
One  may  not  always  account  fully  for 
his  truth,  nor  beat  down  successfully 
all      objections     that     may    be     urged 


against  it;  but  it  remains  truth,  just 
the  same.     And  so  in  this  case. 

I  believe  that  in.  the  translations 
Joseph  Smith  has  given  to  the  world — 
confessedly  not  by  scholarship  but  by 
inspiration,  by  his  own  spirit  being 
quickened  by  contact  with  God's  spirit 
— that  in  those  translations  are  truths 
that  are  parts  of  a  mighty  system  of 
truth,  the  like  of  which  is  not  found 
elsewhere  among  men.  And  that  sys- 
tem of  truth,  now  being  worked  out  in 
the  experiences  of  both  individual  men 
and  nations  of  men,  will  receive,  ere 
the  end,  a  splendid  vindication  both  as 
a  system  and  in  all  its  parts. 

And  here  I  might  paraphrase  a  pas- 
sage from  George  Rawlinson  employed 
in  his  "Historical  Evidences  of  the 
Truth  of  the  Scripture  Records:  If 
any  new  form  of  evidence  shall  here- 
after be  needed  to  meet  new  forms  of 
attack,  and  authenticate  afresh  the 
word  of  truth,  they  will  be  found  de- 
posited somewhere,  waiting  for  the  ful- 
ness of- time;  and  God  will  bring  them 
forth  in  their  season,  from  the  dark 
hieroglyphics,  or  the  desert  sands,  or 
the  dusty  manuscripts,  to  confound  the 
adversaries  of  his  word,  and  to  mag- 
nify his  name. 

Secure  in  such  a  conviction,  here  let 
us  stay  ourselves,  nothing  daunted; 
and  let  the  world's  investigation  of 
our  truth  be  welcomed,  confident,  with 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  that  noth- 
ing can  be  done  against  the  truth,  but 
for  the  truth. 


326 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


The  Book  of  Abraham. 


BY  J.    M.   SJODAHL,   EDITOR  OF  THE      DESERET   NEWS 


[On  December  17,  the  following  article  appeared  as  an  editorial  in  the 
Deseret  News.  The  Era  has  permission  from  the  author,  Elder  J.  M.  Sjodahl,  to 
reproduce  it  in  this  series. — The  Editors.] 


We  are  indebted  to  the  Right  Rev. 
Bishop  F.  S.  Spalding  for  a  copy  of 
his  pamphlet  on  "Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as 
a  Translator." 

In  this  pamphlet  the  author  quotes 
eminent  scholars  in  proof  of  the  as- 
sertion that  the  Prophet's  translation 
of  certain  Egyptian  documents  accom- 
panying the  "Book  of  Abraham"  is 
wrong.  And  he  argues  that  if  the 
Prophet  failed  in  one  Instance,  he  failed 
in  another,  and  his  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  must  also  be  rejected. 

The  scholars  quoted  are:  Dr.  A.  H. 
Sayce,  Oxford,  England;  Dr.  W.  H. 
Flinders  Petrie,  London  University;  Dr. 
James  H.  Breasted,  Haskell  Oriental 
Museum,  Chicago;  Dr.  Arthur  C.  Mace, 
assistant  Curator,  Metropolitan  Mu- 
seum of  Art,  New  York;  Dr.  John  Pet- 
ers, University  of  Pennsylvania;  Prof. 
C.  A.  B.  Mercer,  Western  Theological 
Seminary;  Dr.  Edward  Meyer,  Uni- 
versity of  Berlin,  and  Dr.  Friedri^h 
Freiherr  von  Bissing,  University  of 
Munich. 

This  is,  of  course,  a  formidable  array 
of  scholarship,  but  not  half  as  formid- 
able as  that  which  could  be  quoted 
against  the  genuineness  and  authentic- 
ity of  the  Pentatuech,  for  instnace. 
Bishop  Spalding  is  well  aware  of 
the  truth  of  this  proposition.  In 
fact,  the  Rev.  gentleman  is,  we 
believe,  somewhat  infatuated  with 
the  scholarship  which  has  pro- 
duced a  criticism  known,  since  the 
days  of  Eichhorn,  as  "higher,"  though 
"negative"  would  describe  its  character 
more  accurately.  If  he  would  state, 
freely  and  frankly,  his  views  on  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  Bible,  they  would 
be  found  not  to  differ  essentially  from 
those  expressed  on  the  correctness  of 
the   translation   of   the    Book  of   Abra- 


ham. His  effort  to  break  down  faith  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon  by  directing 
against  it  the  heavy  batteries  of  Egypt- 
ian scholarship,  is,  therefore,  not  sur- 
prising.    But   it   will  prove  in  vain. 

UNFAIR   REASONING. 

Before  taking  up  the  "scholarship" 
argument,  we  may  state  that  the  rea- 
soning of  the  Bishop  concerning  the 
translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and 
the  Book  of  Abraham  is  hardly  fair. 
The  Book  of  Mormon  was  translated  by 
inspiration,  by  means  of  "Urim  and 
Thummim,  the  same  instrument  which 
enabled  ancient  men  of  God  to  render 
an  infallible  judgment  and  give  to  the 
people  the  mind  and  will  of  God.  The 
Prophet  Joseph,  at  the  time  he  was 
called  to  render  those  ancient  records 
into  English,  was  an  unlearned  youth 
and  the  book  itself  was  written  in  a 
language  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
scholarship  of  our  day.  Its  contents 
had  to  be  revealed  by  the  operation 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  mind  of 
the  Prophet,  or  remain  unknown.  It 
was  different  with  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham. That  record  came  into  his  hands 
by  purchase,  as  any  other  ancient  doc- 
ument might  have  been  procured.  When 
it  first  attracted  his  attention  he  knew 
very  little  about  its  importance,  but 
with  the  aid  of  W.  W.  Phelps  and  Oli- 
very  Cowdery  he  began  to  decipher 
some  of  the  hieroglyphics,  and  as  this 
work  proceeded,  he  found  to  his  joy 
that  he  had  before  him  a  literary  pro- 
duction traceable  to  Abraham.  Then  he 
took  up  the  study  of  the  letters  and  the 
grammar  of  the  Egyptian  language.  In 
this  research  he  found  himself,  virtu- 
ally, on  pioneer  ground,  but,  like  Cham- 
pollion,  he  had  an  almost  intuitive  lin- 
guistic sense     The  work,  however,  pro- 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


327 


Ifeedea  slowly.  It  was  begun  in  1835. 
Not  till  seven  years  later,  in  1842,  could 
he  begin  the  publication.  (See  "History 
of  the  Church"  by  Brigham  H.Roberts, 
page  519,  Vol.  4.)  And  it  was  never 
completed. 

Here,  then,  is  a  difference  between 
the  two  translations.  The  meaning  of 
the  characters  on  the  Book  of  Mormon 
plates  was  given  to  him  miraculously, 
by  the  direct  operation  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  upon  his  mind  made  receptive 
through  prayer,  visions,  and  meditation. 
The  correct  understanding  of  the  Book 
of  Abraham  was  fiven,  also  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  but  through 
the  usual  channels  of  research  and  as 
a  reward  for  faithful  Investigation  and 
labor.  That  the  Prophet  prayed  earnest- 
ly for  light  and  knowledge  during  the 
time  he  was  occupied  upon  the  trans- 
lation, we  need  not  say;  for,  like  all 
the  mighty  men  of  God,  he  was  a  man 
of  prayer  and  supplication;  that  the 
Lord  answered  his  prayer,  there  can  be 
no  doubt.  Both  translations  are,  there- 
fore, given  by.  inspiration,  but  they 
came  through  different  channels.  That 
is  the  reason  why  the  Bishop's  argu- 
ment is  not  fair.  If  a  mistake  should 
be  proved  in  the  translation  of  the 
Egyptian  documents,  that  would  not 
in  any  way  affect  the  translation  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  For  such  a 
mistake  might  be  due  to  the  channel 
through  which  the  inspiration  flowed, 
without  lessening  the  value  of  the  Book 
itself.  There  can  be  no  such  mistake 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon  which  came 
without  the  aid   of   scientific   channels. 

THE    SCHOLARSHIP    ARGUMENT. 

Bishop  Spalding's  chief  argument  is 
this:  Because  there  is  a  difference  of 
opinion  between  certain  eminent  schol- 
ars and  the  Prophet  Joseph  concerning 
the  meaning  of  the  hieroglyphics  the 
Prophet  translated, therefore  he  is  wrong 
and  the  scholars  are  right.  This  is  the 
most  extraordinary  attempt  at  logic 
ever  put  forth  by  a  scholar.  The  con- 
clusion rests  upon  the  monstrous  as- 
sumption that  there  is  an  infallible,  un- 
changeable scholarship,  incapable  of 
receiving  more  light,  and  to  contradict 
which  is  heresy.    We  know  better,  and 


the  Rev.  gentleman  knows  better. 
He  knows  that  scholars  sometimes  are 
wrong,  and  that  they  are  compelled  by 
facts  to  abandon  old  theories  for  new 
ones.  In  the  case  of  a  difference  of 
opinion,  how  does  he  know  which  side 
is  certainly  right?  How  does  he  know 
that  the  Prophet  is  not  right,  and  that 
those  on  the  other  side  are  not  wrong? 
Mathematics  is  an  exact  science,  and 
its  propositions  may  be  demonstrated, 
but  not  so  archeology. 

SCHOLARS  SOMETIMES  ARE 
WRONG 

Need  we  illustrate  the  fact  that 
scholars  sometimes  are  wrong? 

It  is  still  within  the  memory  of  man 
that  Heinrich  Schliemann  was  branded, 
by  some  pretty  good  scholars,  as  a 
dreamer,  if  not  an  impostor,  when  he 
first  announced  his  startling  discover- 
ies. And  yet,  today,  it  is  generally  ac- 
knowledged thai,  as  a  result  of  his 
archeological  researches,  new  light  has 
been  thrown  on  the  ancient  Greek  civil- 
ization. 

August  le  Plongeon.  who  devoted 
years  to  researches  in  Yucatan,  was  in 
his  day  regarded  as  little  better  than  a 
charlatan,  and  some  of  his  labors  were 
necessarily  expended  on  a  defense  of 
his  claim  to  a  hearing  in  the  scientific 
world.  Either  he  was  wrong,  or  his 
critics  were  wrong.  In  either  case  the 
fact  remains  that,  scholars  sometimes 
are  wrong. 

But  hear  Dr.  M.  G.  Kyle,  an  eminent 
Egyptologist: 

"In  1904  one  of  the  foremost  archeolo- 
gists  of  Europe  said  to  me:  'I  do  not 
believe  there  ever  were  such  people 
as  the  Hittites  and  I  do  not  believe 
'Kheta'  in  the  Egyptian  inscriptions 
was  meant  for  the  name  'Hittites.' 
We  will  allow  that  archeologist  to  be 
nameless  now,  but  the  ruins  of  Troy 
vindicated  the  right  of  her  people  to  a 
place  in  real  history  and  the  ruins  of 
Boghatz-koi  bid  fair  to  afford  a  more 
striking  vindication  of  the  Bible  repre- 
sentation of  the  Hittites." 

We  appreciate  the  courtesy  of  Dr. 
Kyle  in  not  mentioning  the  name  of  the 
prominent  European  archeologist  who 
manifested  his  ignorance  by  his  skep- 
ticism.    For  ought  we  know,   it  might 


328 


.IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


have  been  one  of  the  European  scien- 
tists quoted  by  Bishop  Spalding.  But 
whoever  he  was,  he  was  as  mistaken 
as  he  was  positive.  For,  through  the 
researches  of  Winckler,  and  others,  an 
entire  Hittite  empire  has  been  recov- 
ered from  the  debris  of  the  past.  It  was 
an  empire  in  Asia  Minor,  extending  in 
every  direction,  and  it  was  important 
enough  to  enter  into  treaties  with 
Babylonia  on  one  side  and  Egypt  on 
the  other. 

The  Hittites  occupy  a  prominent  part 
in  the  Bible.  In  Joshua  the  country 
between  Lebanon  and  the  Euphrates  is 
called  the  Land  of  the  Hittites.  Solo- 
mon imported  horses  from  the  king  of 
the  Hittites,  and  the  Syrians,  when 
making  war  upon  Israel  on  one  oc- 
casion, feared  that  they  would  have 
to  fight  the  Hittites,  too.  And  yet  an 
eminent  scholar,  a  very  few  years  ago 
denied  that  they  ever  existed.  Bible 
students  were  necessarily  forced  to  take 
issue  with  such  scholars  on  this  ques- 
tion, without  having  the  proofs  at  their 
command,  until  further  light  came.  It 
has  now  been  proved  that  Thotmes  III., 
of  Egypt,  marched  to  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates  and  received  tribute  from 
the  "greater  Hittites"  to  the  amount 
of  3,200  pounds  of  silver.  It  is  known 
also  that  Rameses  the  Great  was  un- 
successful in  his  attempt  to  capture  the 
Hittite  stronghold  Kadesh,  and  that  he 
came  near  perishing.  Four  years  later 
a  Hittite  princess  became  the  wife 
of  Rameses.  Scholarship  had  a  great 
deal  to  learn  on  the  Hittites,  and  who, 
shall  say  that  it  has  nothing  to  learn 
on  the  subject  treated  on  in  the  Book 
of  Abraham? 

Another  illustration:  Until  this  time 
scholarship  has  confidently  maintained 
that  the  religion  of  Palestine  came 
from  Babylonia.  Another  view  has  re- 
cently been  announced  by  Albert  T. 
Clay,  an  authority  on  cuneiform  in- 
scriptions. He  says  "that  the  Semitic- 
Babylonian  religion  is  an  importation 
from  Syria  and  Palestine  (Amurru), 
that  the  creation,  deluge,  ante-diluvian 
patriarchs,  etc.,  of  Babylonia,  came 
from  Amurru,  instead  of  the  Hebraic 
stories    having   come    from    Babylonia, 


as  held  by  nearly  all  Semitic  scholars." 
Here  is  a  possible  change  announced  in 
the  conceptions  of  scholarship,  which 
promises  a  complete  scientific  revolu- 
tion. 

There  is  no  infallibility  in  scholarship. 
To  assume  that  the  Prophet  was  wrong 
simply  because  scholars  say  so  is  to 
bea;  the  question. 

DISCREPANCIES   IN   THE   TESTI- 
MONY OF  SCHOLARS. 

We  have  no  prejudice  against  schol- 
arship. Scholars  are  witnesses,  and 
their  testimony  on  any  question  is  of  as 
much  value  as  "expert"  testimony  al- 
ways is,  provided  it  is  unprejudiced 
and  based  on  facts.  But  as  to  that 
the  jury,  in  this  case  the  public,  must 
be  the  judge.  Scholarship  certainly  has 
a  right  to  a  respectful  hearing  but  it 
happens  that  the  authorities  quoted 
by  Bishop  Spalding  disagree  on  some 
essential  points,  in  their  translations. 
In  fact,  they  contradict  each  other,  and 
their  testimony  is,  consequently,  of  less 
value  than  it  would  have  been  other- 
wise. 

Dr.  Sayce  maintains  that  the  hiero- 
glyphs are  so  ignorantly  copied  that 
hardly  one  of  them  is  correct,  but  in 
the  pictographs  in  the  third  illustration 
he  recognizes  a  representation  of  the 
Goddess  Maat  leading  "the  pharaoh" 
before  Osiris,  behind  whom  stands  the 
Goddess  Isis. 

Dr.  Petrie  almost  agrees  with  Dr. 
Sayce.  He  also  regards  the  third  il- 
lustration as  a  representation  of  a 
judgment  scene.  Figure  1,  he  says,  Is 
Osiris  in  the  usual  form;  figure  2  is  Isis 
behind  him;  figure  3  is  the  stand  of 
offerings  with  lotus  flowers;  figure  4 
is  the  Goddess  Nebhat,  or  Maat;  he  is 
not  sure  which;  figure  5  is  the  dead 
person,  and  figure  6  is  the  God  Anubis, 
the  conductor  of  the  souls  of  the  dead. 
Where  Dr.  Sayce  sees  the  Goddess 
Maat  (Ma't?)  Dr.  Petrie  is  not  certain 
of  the  name,  because  of  the  bad  draw- 
ing, and  where  Dr.  Sayce  recognizes  the 
spirit  of  "the  pharaoh,"  Dr.  Petrie  sees 
only  a  dead  person — any  dead  person. 
Attention  is  called  to  this  by  the  very 
wording  of  Dr.  Sayce's  translation,  for 
he    employs   the    definite   article,    indi- 


"JOSEPH   SMITH,  JR..  AS  A  TRANSLATOR' 


329 


eating1  that  a  well  known  pharaoh — • 
"the  pharaoh" — is  here  portrayed.  But 
which  of  them? 

Dr.  Breasted  agrees  with  Dr.  Sayce 
and  Dr.  Petrie  that  the  figure  on  the 
throne  represents  Osiris.  But  who  is 
the  figure  behind  him?  Probably  Isis, 
he  says.  He  is  not  as  positive  as  the 
two  other  authorities.  Figure  5,  he 
says,  is  "a  man"  (not  the  pharaoh) 
being  led  before  Osiris.  The  figure 
which  Dr.  Sayce  calls  Maat.  and  Dr. 
Petrie  either  Nebhat  or  Maat,  Dr. 
Breasted  calls  the  Goddess  Truth, 
(Ma't),  but  the  figure  which  Dr.  Petrie 
is  sure  is  Anubis,  Dr.  Breasted  leaves 
without  a  name.  It  is  but  fair  to 
state  that  the  diccrepancies  in  the  ex- 
planations of  this  illustration  are  not 
material. 

On  the  first  illustration,  however, 
the  divergence  is  serious.  Dr. 
fayce  wisely  ignores  this  illustration 
entirely,  b"t  Dr.  Petrie  offers  the  fol- 
lowing explanations:  Figure  1  is  the 
hawk  of  Horus;  figure  2  is  a  dead 
person;  figure  3  is  Anubis;  figure  4  is 
the  usual  funeral  couch;  figures  5,  6,  7, 
and  8  are  the  regular  jars  for  embalm- 
ing parts  of  the  body;  figure  10  are  the 
funeral  offerings.  His  view  is  that 
the  picture  represents  an  embalming 
scene,  but  he  ignores  figures  9,  11,  and 
12,  entirely.  Do  they  not  fit  into  the  em- 
balming theory? 

Dr.  Breasted  differs  with  Dr.  Petrie. 
He  considers  that  the  reclining  figure 
represents  Osiris  rising  from  the  dead, 
although  there  is  no  resemblance  be- 
tween the  Osiris  of  this  illustration  and 
that  of  the  third.  The  figure  which  Dr. 
Petrie  tells  us  represents  the  hawk  of 
Horus,  Dr.  Breasted  says  is  the  God- 
dess Isis — quite  a  different  Isis  from 
that  in  the  third  illustration.  And  the 
figure  which  Dr.  Petrie  feels  sure  is 
Anubis,  Dr.  Breasted  says  is  an  of- 
ficiating priest.  Both  these  interpreta- 
tions cannot  be  correct.  Either  Dr. 
Petrie  or  Dr.  Breasted,  is  wrong. 

Dr.  John  Peters  also  offers  a  sugges- 
tion, or  two,  on  the  proper  interpre- 
tation of  the  first  illustration. 
He  regards  the  figure  which  Dr. 
Petrie  says  is  the  hawk  of  Horus,  and 


Dr.  Breasted  calls  Isis,  as  the  soul  of 
the  departed  Egyptian  (Kos).  Three 
different  theories  on  one  figure!  In  fig- 
ure 9,  which  Dr.  Breasted  ignores,  ho 
sees  a  crocodile  ready  to  devour  the 
dead  if  he  is  not  properly  embalmed, 
which  naturally  suggests  the  question 
whether  the  Egyptians  believed  that 
crocodiles  fed  on  the  souls  of  the  dead. 

We  cannot  within  the  necessarily  re- 
stricted limits  of  this  article  pay  atten- 
tion to  every  detail  of  the  learned  tes- 
timony submitted,  but  it  would  not  be 
proper  to  slight  the  opinion  of  Dr. 
Frederick  Freiherr  von  Bissing,  that 
the  figure  which  Dr.  Petrie  calls  Anubis 
is  merely  the  "shadow"  of  the  dead 
man.  Will  not  Dr.  Friedrich  Freiherr 
von  Bissing  kindly  explain  how  the 
shadow  comes  to  wear  a  white  apron? 

On  the  second  illustration  there  is 
practical  unanimity.  All  the  scholars 
quoted  say  it  is  a  disc  with  magic  in- 
scriptions intended  as  a  protection  for 
the  dead  on  the  other  side.  But  none 
of  them  offers  an  interpretation  of  the 
inscription.  This  is  all  the  more  re- 
markable because  they  all  agree  that 
the  object  is  very  familiar  to  Egyptian 
scholars. 

A    QUESTION    OF    WORDS. 

Dr.  Sayce  ventures  the  assertion  that 
the  word  "kolob,"  used  by  the  Prophet 
Joseph,  is  not  Egyptian.  How  does 
he  know?  Does  he  know  every  word  in 
the  entire  Egyptian  literature?  It  in 
certainly  a  Semitic  word.  By  referring 
to  an  Arabic  dictionary  we  find  that 
it  is  still  used  in  the  Arabian  language 
As  a  verb  it  means  "to  turn,"  and.  a 
derivative  might  very  properly  be  used 
as  a  noun  to  denote  the  center  around 
whish  something  turns,  as  it  is  used 
in  the  illustration  in  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham. The  Arabian  verb  "qalaba"  has. 
many  derivatives.  We  find  it  in  the 
term  "inqilab  ashshams"  which  means 
"solstice,"  and  in  "qalb  ulaqrab,"  which 
is  the  name  for  the  star  Alpha  in  the 
constellation  Scorpio.  This  is  proof 
enough  that  the  word  is  used  in  the 
Semitic  group  of  languages  as  an 
astronomical  term,  whether  it  is  Egyp- 
tian   or   not,    and    it    is   not    improbable 


330 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


that  Abraham,  a  Semite,  should  so 
use  it. 

Dr.  Mercer  remarks  that  the  proph- 
et's transliteration  of  the  Hebrew 
word  for  "expanse"  is  "far  from  cor- 
rect," but  as  he  neglects  to  give  us 
the  transliteration  which  he-  considers 
correct,  we  cannot  judge  >f  the  excel- 
lency of  his  spelling'.  We  note,  how- 
ever, that  the  art  of  writing  Hebrew 
words  in  English  has  not  yet  received 
fixed  rules.  It  is  like  phonetic  spell- 
ing. Each  writer  has  his  own  con- 
ception of  it.  A  common  translitera- 
tion of  the  word  referred  to  is  "raw- 
kee'ah,"  but  whether  that  is  so  much 
better  than  "raukeeang"  we  leave  to 
any  Hebrew  scholar  to  say. 

In  this  connection  it  may  bt  of  inter- 
est to  Dr.  Mercer  to  have  his  attention 
called  to  the  fact  that  most  of  the 
names  we  have  from  the  Hebrew  are 
very  imperfect  representations  of  the 
Hebrew  letters.  In  the  Hebrew  there 
are  no  such  names  as  "Moses,"  "Eve," 
"Solomon,"  "Samson,"  Jephthah," 
'Saul,"  etc.  The  corresponding  He- 
brew names  are,  "Mosheh,"  "Chavah," 
"Shelomeh,"  "Shimeshon,"  "Iepath- 
ach,"  and  "Shaaul,"  as  near  as  we 
can  write  these  names  in  English. 
There  are  innumerable  illustrations  of 
this  discrepancy  between  the  Hebrew 
and  the  accepted  names.  We  have 
them  from  the  Greek,  mostly,  and  they 
have  suffered  in  the  double  translit- 
eration. 

Dr.  Mercer  also  suggests  that  "Jah- 
oh-eh"  is  a  faulty  transliteration  of 
the  Hebrew  "Jehovah."  Here  again 
we  must  confess  disappointment  at  the 
neglect  of  the  learned  doctor  to  tell 
the  world  how  that  Hebrew  word  ought 
to  be  transliterated  in  oraer  to  give 
the  correct  pronunciation.  If  he  knows, 
he  knows  more  than  a.ny  other  living 
scholar,  Jew  or  Gentile,  "Mormon"  or 
non-"Mormon,"  and  he  should  not  keep 
the  secret  to  himself.  Anr]  since  he 
questions  the  statement  that  the  word 
is  Egyptian,  he  should  enlighten  the 
world  on  the  origin  and  meaning  of  it. 

But  some  scholars  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  word  is  akin  to  the  Egyptian 
"A-Au,"  which  they  translate,  "me- 
am."  Willis  Brewer,  in  "Egypt    and    Is- 


rael," takes  this  view  and  writes  it 
"Jehoah,"  a  form  not  essentially  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  Prophet.  (Com- 
pare  "Jeh-o-ah,"   and   "Jah-ch-eh.") 

Modern  scholarship  generally,  as  Dr. 
Mercer,  of  course,  knows,  does  not, 
however,  write  the  word  '  Jehovah," 
but  "Yahweh,"  and,  in  view  of  all 
the  facts,  it  seems  to  us  that 
the  criticism  of  the  learned  doctor  is, 
both  small-souled  and  careless. 

THE    EXPLANATIONS    GIVEN    BY 
THE  PROPHET. 

When  scholars  tell  us  that  the  illus- 
trations under  consideration  are  scenes 
from  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  represent- 
ing a  judgment  scene  before  the  throne 
of  Osiris,  or  that  they  contain  instruc- 
tions to  the  dead  relative  to  another 
life,  they  believe  that  they  have  com- 
pletely proved  that  the  Prophet's  ex- 
planations are  false.  But  that  does 
not    follow. 

There  is  practical  unanimity  that  the 
third  illustration  represents  a  judg- 
ment scene  before  Osiris,  although 
the  testimony,  as  we  have  seen,  differs 
in  some  details.  But  this  does  not 
contradict  the  explanation  offered  by 
the  Prophet  Joseph.  The  Egyptians 
had  many  festivals  and  their  religion 
was  rich  in  mythology.  It  was  cus- 
tomary to  give  dramatic  representa- 
tions of  their  legends,  in  which  the 
priests  played  the  part  of  the  gods. 
With  this  fact  in  mind  we  can  easily 
understand  that  a  judgment  scene  may 
here  be  represented  with  Abraham, 
Pharaoh,  and  the  prince  as  the  main 
actors,  and  two  servants  taking  in- 
ferior parts.  In  such  a  representa- 
tion Abraham  would  naturally  take 
occasion  to  tell  the  audience  something 
about  the  structure  of  the  universe. 
The  Prophet,  in  fact,  intimates  that 
this  is  a  judgment  scene,  for  he  says 
that  figure  1  is  Abraham  sitting  upon 
Pharaoh's  throne,  with  a  crown  upon 
his  head,  representing  the  Priesthood 
as  emblematical  of  the  presidency  in 
heaven;  with  the  sceptre  of  justice  and 
judgment  in  his  hand.  He  could  state 
no  more  clearly  that  the  illustration 
is  a  judgment  scene  before  the  divine 
throne.      That    Pharaoh  stands   behind 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


331 


the  throne  may  be  explained  on  the  very 
ground  the  Prophet  gives — "courtesy" — 
for  Pharaoh,  being  himself  a  priest  as 
well  as  king,  in  this  way  may  have 
recognized  the  higher  priesthood  held 
by  Abraham.  His  part  in  the  tableau 
was  that  of  an  attendant  en  the  di- 
vine throne.  The  entire  cast,  as  ex- 
plained by  the  Prophet,  it,  natural. 
There  is  the  prince  representing  the 
exalted  personage  who  leadr  the  man 
to  the  throne;  a  servant  represent- 
ing the  man  to  be  judged,  and  a  black 
slave  representing  the  dark  god 
of  the  underworld,  Anubis.  It  is 
strange  that  the  scholars  who  exam- 
ined this  illustration  did  not  discover 
how  closely  they  follow,  in  their  inter- 
pretation, the  explanation  offered  by 
the  Prophet  Joseph. 

On  the  second  illustration  there  is 
also  practical  unanimity  in  regard  to 
its  character.  It  is  explained  to  be  a 
magical  disc,  a  kind  of  talisman,  de- 
signed to  protect  the  dead  on  the  other 
side.  But  the  doctors  do  not  give  any 
interpretation  cf  it.  The  Prophet  ex- 
plains a  small  part  of  it,  as  represent- 
ing the  structure  of  the  universe,  anl 
containing  certain  "key-words"  of  the 
holy  Priesthood.  The  rest  he  leaves 
unexplained.  Is  it  wholly  improbable 
that  writings  intended  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  those  who  have  passed  ov  r 
to  the  other  side  should  contain  repre- 
sentations of  the  universe  over  whicb 
He  reigns  before  whom  they  were  to 
appear,  or  that  it  should  have  on  it 
symbolic  representations  of  principles 
pertaining  to  the  holy  Priebthood?  On 
the  contrary,  that  is  just  what  we 
would  expect  such  a  document  to  con- 
tain. Here  again  scholarship  has, 
though  blindfolded  and  fumbling,  add- 
ed confirmation  to  the  work  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph. 

On  the  first  illustration  the  schol- 
ars, as  we  have  seen,  disagree.  Some 
consider  it  an  embalming  scene.  Others 
tell  us  that  it  is  a  resurrection  scene. 
We  need  not  waste  time  over  the  dif- 
ferent explanations,  but  leave  the  argu- 
ment to  the  scholars  themselves.  But 
this  is  a  fact,  that  of  the  explanations 
given,  that  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  is 
uie    one    which    best    agrees,    with    the 


figures  themselves.  The  figure  on  the 
altar  cannot  represent  a  corpse,  for  his 
attitude  is  that  of  a  living  being.  He 
cannot  represent  the  God  Osiris,  for 
there  are  none  of  the  usual  marks  by 
which  this-  divinity  is  recognized  in 
the  Egyptian  pictures.  The  picture  can 
represent  an  attempt  to  sacrifice  Abra- 
ham in  the  land  of  Ur,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  in  an- 
swer to  prayer,  to  prevent  the  inhuman 
rite.  The  scholars  have  failed  to  offer 
any   better   explanation. 

THE    BOOK    OF    THE    DEAD. 

But  can  Abraham  have  had  anything 
to  do  with  Egyptian  documents  found 
in  a  tomb?  The  scholars  tell  us  that 
the  illustrations  are  part  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  and  that,  they  seem  to 
think,  excludes  Abraham  from  further 
consideration. 

What  is  then  the  Book  of  the  Dead? 
It  is  a  collection  of  manusscripts 
found  with  mumies.  Some  of 
them  are  very  ancient.  They  are 
thought  to  contain  writings  of 
a  magical  character,  though  hymns 
are  also  found  in  the  text.  A 
collection  of  165  sections,  or  chapters, 
were  made  at  one  time.  All  the  manu- 
scripts discovered  are  said  to  be  very 
corrupt,  and  most  of  them  can  only  be 
translated  by  tracing  them  further 
back.  In  this  respect  the  manuscripts 
that  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Prophet 
are  not  different  from  others.  Accord- 
ing to  this  Book  the  dead  are  taken 
before  the  judgment  seat  of  Osiris  and 
42  judges.  Their  hearts  are  weighed  by 
Anubis  and  Thout,  and  according  to 
this  test  their  fate  is   decided. 

Very  little  is  known  about  this  Book 
of  the  Dead,  and  nothing  whatever  or 
its  origin.  It  was  the  literary  growth 
of  centuries,  like  our  Bible,  and  un- 
doubtedly many  authors  contributed  to 
it.  It  may  have  begun  in  oral  tradi- 
tion. Choice  sentences  were  at  first 
written  down  on  temple  walls,  and 
other  suitable  places.  Later  they  were 
copied  on  papyrus  and  other  material. 
There  is,  therefore,  nothing  unreason- 
able in  the  supposition  that  Abraham 
may  have  contributed  to  it,  and  that 
some   part   of   his   literary   composition 


3?> 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


should  finally  find  its  way  to  this  coun- 
try, and  to  Nauvoo.  This,  we  say,  is 
not  unreasonable,  and  it  cannot  be  suc- 
cessfully  denied. 

OSIRIS   LEGEND. 

The  Osiris  legend  may  be  briefly  told 
here.  According  to  the  Egyptians,  Osiris 
was  the  son  of  the  Earth  and  the  Sky, 
and  married  to  his  sister  Isis.  He 
came  to  Egypt,  where  he  found  an  un- 
civilized people  whom  he  raised  from 
barbarism  to  a  state  of  civilization,  by 
teaching  them  to  till  the  ground  and  to 
worship  God.  He  traveled  far  and 
wide.  Finally  he  was  slain  by  treach- 
ery. His  body  was  thrown  into  the 
river  Nile  and  carried  out  to  sea.  Isis, 
after  a  long  search  found  it  and  would 
have  it  interred.  But  while  she  was 
visiting  her  son  Horus,  the  wicked  Set, 
who  had  caused  the  murder,  tore  it  to 
pieces  and  scattered  it  all  over  the 
Earth.  Isis  now  went  in  search  of  the 
scattered  pieces  and  wherever  she 
found  a  fragment  she  buried  it,  and  the 
spot  became  sacred  ground.  Osiris  lived 
in  the  world  beyond,  and  became  the 
ruler  of  the  dead.  The  Osiris  legend 
became  the  basis  of  the  Egyptian  doc- 
trine of  immortality. 

Le  Plongeon  sees  in  this  myth  an 
Egyptian  version  of  the  Bible  story  of 
the  murder  of  Abel  by  his  brother  Cain. 
If  there  is  any  truth  in  this  conject- 
ure, it  would  not  be  a  far-fetched  con- 
clusion that  the  Egyptians,  probably 
had  heard  the  story  from  Abraham 
himself. 

But  we  would  not  be  surprised  to 
learn  some  day,  on  indisputable  sci- 
entific evidence,  that  the  historical 
basis  of  the  legend  is  the  narrow  es- 
cape of  Abraham  from  the  idolatrous 
priests  in  Ur,  and  his  appearance  in 
Egypt  as  a  standard  bearer  of  civil- 
ization and  religion.  Abraham,  like 
Osiris,  came  from  a  far-off  land,  be- 
yond the  point  where  the  Earth  and 
Sky  meet,  and  he,  too,  was  married 
to  his  sister  (half  sister).  If  it  should  be 
to  Jacob  and  to  one  branch  of 
the  decendants  of  Abraham,  is  iden- 
tical with  "Osiris,"  the  close  con- 
nection of  Abraham     with     the  Osiris 


myth  and  the  Egyptian  doctrine 
of  immortality  would  be  established.  On 
this  point  we  quote  from  "Egypt  and 
Israel,"  by  Mr.  Willis  Brewer: 

"But  this  view  might  suggest  that 
I-Sera-El  was  Asare-El  or  'Osiris' 
himself;  and  the  statement  that  the 
bones  of  Joseph  were  brought  out  of 
Egypt  by  Bene  Ishera-El  [the  sons  of 
Israel]  and  buried  at  Shechem  tends  to 
support  the  Osiris  opinion,  for  Joseph 
is  made  son  of  I-Sera-El.  .  .  .  Besides, 
Sar  means  'prince'  both  in  Egyptian 
and  Hebrew,  and  Osiris  had  the  name 
Sar,  while  the  God  Raa  declares  him- 
self Sar-son-of-a-Sar.  And  the  tablets 
found  lately  at  Tel  Amarneh,  between 
Memphis  and  Thebes,  prove  that  the 
Egyptians  were  in  possession  of  Pales- 
tine at  the  time,  or  shortly  after,  the 
Bene  I-Sera-El  are  supposed  to  have 
gone  there  from  Mi-Zera-im  (Egypt), 
find  of  course  diffused  both  their 
language  and  religion." 

The  author  quoted  has  some  rather 
fantastic  notions  and  theories,  but  on 
etaymoligy  he  seems  to  be  perfectly 
sound,  and  the  opinion  he  advances  on 
the  identity  of  the  names  Israel  and 
Osiris    deserves   attention. 

WHENCE  THIS  KNOWLEDGE?. 

The  Book  of  Abraham  must  not  be 
judged,  however,  from  the  illustra- 
tions under  consideration  alone,  but 
from  its  marvelous  contents.  Dr.  John 
A.  Widtsoe,  in  his  excellent  little  book, 
"Joseph  Smith  as  Scientist,"  points 
cut  that  the  Prophet  clearly  under- 
stood that  the  stars  form  groups,  or 
clusters,  which  revolve  round  some 
one  point  or  powerful  star,  and  that 
in  this  he  anticipated  the  scientific 
world  many  years.  He  found  this 
great  truth  in  the  Book  of  Abraham. 
Can  a  book  which  reveals  such  a  truth 
in  advance  of  science  be  a  fraud? 

Another  point.  In  the  Book  of 
Abraham  the  relations  between  Chal- 
dea  and  Egypt  are  so  intimate  that 
Dr.  John  Peters  says  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  plates  "displays  an  amus- 
ing ignorance.  Chaldeans  and  Egyp- 
tians are  hopelessly  mixed  together, 
although  as  dissimilar  and  remote  in 
language,  religion  and  locality  as  are 
today  the  American  and  Chinese." 

Before  the  discovery  of  the  Tel  el- 
Amarna     tablets    this    remark    might 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


333 


have  been  excusable,  but  now  it  is  as- 
tounding. At  Tel-el-Amarna  a  num- 
ber of  letters  were  found,  many  of 
them  dating  back  1300  years  before 
our  era.  And  this  correspondence 
was  carried  on,  not  in  the  Egyptian 
hieroglyphics,  but  in  the  Babylonian 
cuneiform  letters.  It  would  be  inter- 
esting to  have  the  learned  doctor's 
opinion  as  to  whether  the  Chinese  had 
learned  American,  or  the  American 
Chinese. 

At  all  events,  some  of  these  letters 
passed  between  the  courts  of  Egypt 
and  Babylonia.  They  show  that  the 
Egyptian  king,  Aken-Aten,  had  mar- 
ried a  sister  of  the  Babylonian  king, 
and  that  his  mother  and  grandmother 
were  of  the  Babylonian  royal  house. 
They  also  show  that  a  daughter  of  the 
Egyptian  king  had  been  sent  to  Baby- 
lonia to  become  the  wife  of  the  king 
there.  They  show  that  the  Egyptian 
king  asked  for  a  daughter  of  the 
Babylonian  monarch,  for  wife,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  sister,  and  that  his  Baby- 
lonian majesty  diplomatically  refused 
on  the  ground  that  he  did  not  know 
how  his  sister  liked  Egypt,  or  what 
treatment  she  had  received,  where- 
upon the  Egyptian  king  asked  him  to 
send  a  trusted  representative  to  in- 
vestigate and  report.  All  this  looks 
like    a     "hopeless    mixture"    between 


Babylonia  and  Egypt,  but  it  is  histori- 
cal. 

The  fact  is  that  even  scientists  did 
hardly  realize  ihe  close  relations  be- 
tween the  great  empires  of  the  ancient 
world,  until  these  old  documents  were 
recovered.  But  the  Book  of  Abraham 
indicates  these  relations.  But  that  is, 
we  are  told,  "amusing."  The  Tel  el- 
Amarna  letters  are  still  more  "amus- 
ing," but  we  cannot  reject  them  on 
that  account. 


Bishop  Spalding's  effort  is  not  new 
to  Latter-day  Saints  who  have  fol- 
lowed the  history  of  the  Church.  His 
argument  is  one  that  has  been  heard 
before,  without  disturbing  in  the  least 
the  faith  that  rests  on  solid  founda- 
tions. It  has  been  fa.'rly  and  squarely 
met  in  the  past,  and  will  be  answered 
again,  whenever  occasion  requires, 
with  increasing  clearness  as  the  re- 
searches continue  to  reveal  further 
data. 

The  Latter-day  Saints  court  inquiry, 
such  as  this.  They  want  to  know  the 
truth,  and  only  the  truth.  There  is  no 
■important  issue  they  are  not  glad  to 
face,  whether  presented  by  friend  or 
foe.  Their  religion  has  stood  every  test 
to  which  it  has  been  submitted,  and  it 
will  remain  unshaken  for  ever,  because 
it  is  founded  upon  the  Rock,  and  i*s 
origin  is  the  Source  of  all  Truth. 


The  Spalding  Argument 


15Y    DR.    FREDERICK    J.    PACK,    DESERET    PROFESSOR    OF    GEOLOGY,    UNIVERSITY 

OF   UTAH 


[This  article  appeared  in  the  Dcseret  News,  Dec.  21,  1912,  and  is  reproduced 
in  the  Era  by  permission  of  the  author. — The  Editors.] 


An  article  bearing  the  title  "Joseph 
Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator,"  written  by 
Dr.  P.  S.  Spalding,  bishop  in  Utah  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  has  recently  re- 
ceived a  limited  circulation  among  the 
Latter-day  Saints.  The  manifest  fair- 
ness of  the  inquiry  and  the  apparently 
well  founded  conclusions  came  as  some- 


what of  a  surprise  to  the  "Mormon" 
people.  The  Latter-day  Saints  are  ac- 
customed to  criticism  of  a  malicious 
and  rancorous  sort.  Fairness  and 
breadth  have  rarely  characterized  the 
investigations  of  the  past.  And  conse- 
quently the  apparent  fairness  shown  by 
Dr.   Spalding  made  far  into   the  ranks 


334 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


of  the  Latter-day  Saints  a  well  pre- 
parer! path  along  which  the  conclusions 
of  his  article  might  readily  follow.  And, 
so,  for  a  moment,  blinded  as  we  were 
by  the  nature  of  his  argument,  some 
may  have  thought,  that  the  claims  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  had  been  seri- 
ously shocked.  A  little  distance,  how- 
ever, lends  perspective  to  the  whole 
matter.  But  before  an  examination 
of  the  value  of  the  article  is  made  we 
shall  endeavor  to  give  a  synopsis  of  his 
argument. 

In  the  opening  paragrapn  of  the  arti- 
cle the  writer  states  that  "If  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  true,  it  is,  next  to  the 
Bible,  the  most  important  book  in  the 
world."  He  then  goes  on  to  state  that 
the  world's  knowledge  would  be  greatly 
enriched  if  the  claims  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon  can  be  proved.  (The  present 
writer,  however,  does  not  share  the 
opinion  of  Dr.  Spalding  that  scientific 
theories  would  need  serious  readjust- 
ment because  of  it.)  He  gives 
credit  for  fairness  on  the  part  of  the 
Latter-day  Saints  and  mentions  the 
names  of  a  few  individuals  whom  he 
regards  as  especially  frank  and  intelli- 
gent. He  deprecates  the  methods  em- 
ployed by  the  anti-"Mormon"  investiga- 
tor. He  quotes  extensively  from  "Mor- 
mon" publications,  evidently  for  the 
purpose  of  instructing  his  readers  in 
the  nature  of  certain  church  records 
and  the  esteem  in  which  they  are  held 
by  the  Later-day  Saints. 

He  then  turns  to  what  appears  to 
be  the  objective  point  of  his  argument, 
"Was  the  translation  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  correct?"  He  presents  the 
testimony  of  Professor  Anthon  of  New 
York  as  received  from  Martin  Harris 
and  published  in  the  Pearl  of  Great 
Price.  He  gives  the  testimony  of  the 
Three  Witnesses  and  also  of  the  Eight 
Witnesses.  He  gives  Joseph  Smith 
credit  for  being  logical  in  presenting 
the  testimony  of  these  witnesses  in- 
stead of  carrying  the  original  records 
to  learned  men  because  of  their  inabil- 
ity at  that  time  to  decipher  the  Egyp- 
tian hieroglyphics.  He  quotes  from 
the  Articles  of  Faith  in  which  it  is  im- 
plied that  the  Latter-day  Saints  place 
the  Book  of  Mormon  upon  a  high- 
er plane,  from  the  standpoint  of  trans- 


lation, than  the  Bible.  In  this,  he 
says,  they  are  not  illogical.  He  has  at- 
tempted to  make  it  "clear  to  the  reader 
that  the  correctness  of  the  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  a  most  im- 
portant question."  He  then  affirms 
that  "If  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  not 
a  correct  translation,  and  yet  Joseph 
Smith  thought  that  it  came  to  him  by 
inspiration  and  revelation  from  God, 
all  thoughtful  men  cannot  be  a.sked  to 
accept  other  revelations  which  Joseph 
Smith,  Jr.,  asserted  were  also  given  to 
him  by  Deity."  (The  logic  of  this  con- 
clusion  will  receive  attention   later.) 

He  again  asks  this  question,  "Is  the 
translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  cor- 
rect?" He  makes  the  statement  that 
"Joseph  Smith's  competency  as  a 
translator  of  ancient  languages  can  be 
ascertained  in  but  one  way.  The  orig- 
inal texts,  together  with  their  inter- 
pretations, must  be  submitted  to  com- 
petent scholars."  (There  is  room  for 
difference  of  opinion  here.  Let  our 
friend  tell  us  whether  he  considers 
that  even  the  most  intelligent  human 
beings  are  always  competent  to  sit  in 
judgment  upon  God's  work.  There  are 
individuals  who  feel  that  the  analysis 
of  Deity's  plans  cannot  always  be  made 
by  the  use  of  acid,  fire  and  the  micro- 
scope. My  friend  Spalding,  your  logic 
may  lead  you  into  difficulties.) 

He  speaks  of  the  unavailability  of  the 
original  Book  of  Mormon  records,  and 
concludes  by  stating,  "Our  purpose  will 
be  served  equally  well  if  the  other 
translations  of  the  Prophet  referred  to 
can  be  examined,  and  fortunately  one 
of  these  translations,  together  with  the 
original  manuscript,  is  available."  He 
presents  evidence  relating  to  the  nature 
and  origin  of  the  Book  of  Abraham, 
and  for  this  purpose  quotes  extensively 
from  the  Church  records.  He  then  con- 
cludes by  stating,  "It  is  now  clear  that 
in  the  translation  of  the,  Egyptian 
hieroglyphics,  known  as  the  Book  of 
Abraham,  we  have  just  the  test  we 
need  of  Joseph  Smith's  accuracy  as  a 
translator.  The  original  text  and  the 
Prophet's  translation  are  available  for 
our  investigation." 

Dr.  Spalding  here  very  astutely  ex- 
pands his  argument  to  include  the 
whole    Book    of   Abraham.      His    st-ite- 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


335 


merit  that  "The  original  text  with  the 
Prophet's  translation  are  now  available 
for  our  investigation,"  is  a  very  mis- 
leading one.  In  the  first  place,  we  do 
not  have  the  original  text,  at  most 
only  three  small  fragments  of  it, 
in  fact  only  the  fac-similes  of  these 
fragments.  In  the  second  place  these 
fragments  cannot  be  considered  as 
forming  part  of  the  text  of  the  Book 
of  Abraham. 

He  finally  concludes  that  "If,  in  the 
judgment  of  competent  scholars,  this 
translation  is  correct,  then  the  proba- 
bilities are  all  in  favor  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  If,  however,  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Book  of  Abrahom 
is  incorrect,  then  no  thoughtful  man 
can  be  asked  to  accept  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  hon- 
esty will  require  him,  with  whatever 
personal  regret,  to  repudiate  it 
and  the  whole  body  of  belief,  which 
has  been  built  upon  it  and  upon  the 
reputation  its  publication  gave  to  its 
author." 

He  next  present?  from  the  Book  cf 
.Abraham  the  fac-similes  and  their- 
translation.  Appended  Ic  the  article 
are  the  statements  of  eight  eminent 
Egyptologists.  These  authorities  are 
almost  a  unit  in  declaring  that  the 
hieroglyphics  reproduced  in  the  Book 
of  Abraham  were  not  correctly  trans- 
lated by  Joseph  Smith,  and  that  the 
fac-similes  themselves  are  very  poor 
copies  of  the  original  records.  They 
disagree  somewhat  in  their  descrip- 
tions of  details,  but  in  the  main  their 
testimonies  at  first  appear  to  present 
a    rather    formidable    argument. 

The. reverend  gentleman's  argument, 
in  a  word,  is  this:  "Was  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Mormon  correct? 
This  can  be  answered  only  by  submit- 
ting the  original  records  to  scientific 
men.  Ir  this  case  the  records  are 
not  available.  Joseph  Smith  claimed 
to  have  translated  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham. Three  fac-similes  of  this  record 
are  available.  If  scientists  declare 
that  Joseph  Smith  incorrectly  trans- 
lated these  characters,  no;  only  the 
Book  of  Abraham,  but  also  the  Book 
of  Mormon  and  the  "whole  body  of  be- 


lief" must  be  repudiated.  To  Dr. 
Spalding  the  testimony  of  the  scien- 
tists is  complete,  and  in  consequence 
"Mormonism"   must   fall. 

Now,  I  am  quite  sure  that  Dr.  Spald- 
ing will  concede  to  the  Latter-day 
Saints  a  time  for  inquiry  equal  to  that 
consumed  by  his  investigation.  Fair- 
ness would  demand  this.  He  has 
evidently  written  for  opinions  to  a 
large  number  of  scholar?,  and  as  a 
result  has  published  eight  statements, 
some  of  which  disagree  with  respect 
to  details.  Without  intentionally 
questioning  the  gentleman's  integrity, 
it  might  be  asked  as  to  whether  any 
disharmonious  statements  may  have 
been  received  and  not  published.  The 
Latter-day  Saints  have  been  forced  to 
be  skeptical  because  of  the  unfair 
methods  employed  in  most  of  the  so- 
called  investigations  of  the.  past.  But 
at  any  rate  the  Latter-day  Saints 
themselves  would  like  the  privilege  of 
obtaining  the  opinions  of  eminent 
scholars.  But  before  conceding  that 
the  characters  are  not  coirectly  trans- 
lated they  should  like  to  see  the  Egyp- 
tologists much  more  united  than  they 
are  at  present. 

They  insist  that  it  be  constantly 
kept  in  mind  that  the  conditions  at- 
tending the  translation  of  the  Book 
rf  Abraham  were  far  different  from 
those  attending  the  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  Joseph  Smith  had 
these  Egyptian  records  in  his  posses- 
s"nn  for  many  years,  and  throughout 
t^at  period  he  undoubtedly  spent  much 
time  in  STUDYING  them.  Following 
efforts  to  work  out  an  Egyptian  alpha- 
het,  he  announced  to  his  associates 
that  he  had  been  able  to  decipher 
prrne  of  the  characters.  It  is  evident 
that  the  translation  came  to  him  very 
largely  as  the  result  of  persistent 
study,  conditions  far  different  from 
those  attending  the  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  It  is  very  impor- 
tant that  we  ascertain  the  extent 
to  which  Joseph  Smith  himself  claim- 
ed divine  inspiration  in  the  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Abraham. 

In  a  word,  the  Latter-day  Saints 
insist    that    a    thorough    and    compre- 


336 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


hensive  investigation  of  the  claims  of 
"Mormonism"  be  conducted,  in  which 
every  possible  obstacle  will  be  re- 
moved. It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this 
paper,  however,  to  undertake  this  in- 
quiry or  to  analyze  the  testimonies 
of  the  eminent  scholars — that  would 
require  much  time  and  study.  The 
article  will  be  examined  from  quite 
another  point  of  view. 

In  order  to  clear  the  field  of  any  pos- 
sible objections,  the  reader  is  asked  to 
imagine  that  a  most  comprehensive 
and  exhaustive  inpuiry  has  already  been 
completed.  Suppose  that  not  only 
eight  but  that  scores  of  scholars 
were  united  to  a  word  in  discredit- 
ing the  claims  of  Joseph  Smith  as  a 
translator  of  these  Egyptian  charac- 
ters. Suppose  that  the  scholars  had 
become  fully  acquainted  with  the 
Egyptian  language  and  could  read  the 
hieroglyphics  with  ease.  Suppose  that 
they  had  even  found  the  identical 
manuscript  employed  by  Joseph  Smith. 
Suppose  that  it  had  been  established 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  parties 
concerned  that  the  characters  were 
incorrectly    translated.    What   then? 

The  analysis  of  Dr.  Spalding's  arti- 
cle was  at  this  point  interrupted  by 
other  demands  upon  the  present 
writer's  time.  Criticism  of  a  large 
packet  of  examination  papers  has  just 
been  completed.  In  order  that  no  in- 
justice be  done,  each  answer  has  been 
carefully  read  and  re-read,  and  as  a 
result,  in  the  judgment  of  the  examin- 
er, proper  credit  has  been  allowed.  The 
test,  of  which  these  papers  are  the 
result,  consisted  of  ten  questions,  each 
more  or  less  independent,  but  all  per- 
taining to  the  same  general  subject. 
At  the  close  of  the  test  period  the 
students  left  the  room  affirming  that 
the  questions  were  proper  ones,  and 
that  the  information  for  which  they 
called  had  been  fully  considered  in 
class  discussions.  Several  of  the  stu- 
dents were  emphatic  in  the  statement 
of  their  beliefs  that  in  every  detail 
they  had  correctly  answered  the  ques- 
tions. 

And  now  the  papers  have  been  "cor- 
rected," and  record  has  been  made  of 
the  evidence  upon  which  the  standing 


of  the  various  students  is  based.  The 
results  are  interesting.  Three  out  of  a 
class  of  twenty-four  have  failed,  and 
of  the  remainder  four  are  graded  "a", 
ten  are  graded  "b,"  four  are  graded 
"c,"  and  three  are  graded  "d,"  Not 
a  single  student,  in  the  judgment  of 
the  examiner,  gave  complete  answers 
to  all  of  the  questions.  Even  those 
who  were  positive  in  the  belief  that 
they  had  met  all  of  the  requirements 
were  found  to  have  failed,  in  some 
things.  Some  students  were  deficient 
in  one  thing  and  some  in  another — 
no  two  were  alike.  Some  did  well  in 
the  early  part  of  the  test  and  weaken- 
ed later,  while  others  began  poorly 
and  braced  later,  and  still  others  were 
more  or  less  flighty  and  erratic 
throughout. 

An  examiner,  in  order  to  be  just, 
must  read  each  question  and  give  due 
credit  for  every  detail.  His  opinion  as 
to  the  student's  grade  must  not  be 
formed  until  the  ten  answers  have 
been  examined  and  the  summaries 
made.  If  the  first  answer  be  found 
perfect  the  examiner  is  not  by  this 
justified  in  so  marking  the  remaining 
nine,  and  if  the  first  answer  be  found 
wrong  the  examiner  proves  himself 
unworthy  of  his  position,  if,  at  this 
stage,  he  pronounces  the  verdict  of 
failure. 

And  so  if  our  examiner  be  fair  and 
unbiased  he  will  read  carefully  every 
paragraph,  every  sentence  and  every 
line,  and  his  conclusion  will  be  based 
upon  the  evidence  submitted.  This 
custom  follows  the  individual  from  the 
school  room  into  the  field  of  life.  He 
is  rated  by  those  who  know  him 
according  to  what.he  is  and  the  .things 
he  can  do.  In  order  to  be  adjudged 
great  his  successes  must  overshadow 
his  failures.  But  sorry  would  be  his 
condition  in  life  if  a  single  failure  on 
his  part  would  cause  the  repudiation 
of   every   one   of   his   successes. 

And  yet.  under  what  is  termed  the 
spirit  of  fairness,  this  is  what  Dr. 
Spaulding  asks  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints   with   respect   to   Joseph   Smith. 

It  will  be  remembered  that,  for  sake 
of  argument,  we  have  conceded  to  Dr. 
Spalding    that    his    inquiry    has    con- 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


337 


clusively  shown  that  the  fac-similies 
reproduced  in  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price 
were  grossly  misunderstood  and  mis- 
translated by  Joseph  Smith.  In  fact  we 
have  imagined  that  the  inquiry  was  so 
perfect  that  no  question  could  be 
raised  concerning  the  conclusion  that 
Joseph  Smith  had  incorrectly  trans- 
lated the  Egyptian  characters.  With 
this  condition  very  far  from  being  es- 
tablished Dr.  Spalding  states  that  "no 
thoughtful  man  can  be  asked  to  accept 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  but  on  the  othe* 
hand,  honesty  will  require  him,  with 
whatever  personal  regret,  to  repudiate 
it  and  the  whole  body  of  belief,  which 
has  been  built  upon  it  and  upon  the 
reputation  its  publication  gave  to  its 
author." 

The  reasoning  employed  bv  Dr.  Snald- 
ing  would  require  every  Christian  de- 
nomination to  repudiate  the  translators 
of  the  Bible,  and  consequents  the  Bi- 
ble itself.  It  seems  now  to  be  pretty 
well  agreed  that  errors,  at  tim°s  mire 
or  less  grave,  were  occasionally  made 
during  the  work'  of  translation.  The 
translators  were  scholars  and  probably 
relied  largely  upon  their  ling- 
uistic attainments.  But  because 
they  here  and  there  made  mis- 
takes shall  we  deny  that  they  pos- 
sessed any  knowledge  of  ancient 
languages?  Let  the  reader  say  as  to 
whether,  because  of  this  imperfection, 
we  shall  be  justified  in  casting  out  the 
Bible  and  the  "whole  body  of  belief 
which  has  been  built  upon  it."  And 
shall  we  brand  all  those  who  will  not 
repudiate  it  as  ignorant  and  dishon- 
est? 

The  jury  in  the  box,  following  the 
method  advanced  by  Dr.  Spalding, 
would  convict  one  accused  of  murder 
if  it  could  be  shown  that  he  had  been 
guilty  of  theft— because  once  guilty  al- 
ways guilty.  The  method  would  call 
upon  the  friends  of  the  accused  to  be- 
lieve in  his  guilt  and  to  repudiate 
whatever  good  he  had  done.  Those  who 
would  not  join  in  this  denunciation 
would  be  classed  among  the  ignorant 
and  dishonest. 

This  method  would  require  the  Great 
Judge  whom  we  all  expect  some  day  to 
meet,  to  brand  every  human  being  with- 


out an  exception,  as  a  failure,  and 
not  worthy  of  the  least  consideration — 
because  once  wrong  always  wrong. 
Nay,  it  would  require  him  to  repudiate 
the  work  of  his  own  hands  and  to  cast 
all  into  outer  darkness.  The  reader  will 
undoubtedly  turn  with  considerable  re- 
lief from  the  consideration  of  a  X'olicy 
so  completely  lacking  in  the  first  el- 
ements   of   justice. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  apply  Dr. 
Spalding's  method  of  reasoning  to 
the  results  of  an  inquiry  in 
which  it  had  been  shown  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  right.  Let  us  suppose 
the  case  of  a  prophecy.  The  pre- 
diction with  all  of  its  essential  details 
had  been  made  many  years  before  the 
occurrence  of  any  of  the  events  in- 
volved. The  prophecy  had  been  placed 
on  record  and  the  attention  of  the 
world  called  to  it.  It  was  of  such  a 
nature  that  an  individual  possessing 
even  the  keenest  foresight  could  not 
have  made  it,  unless  he  was  inspired. 
Its  fulfilment  of  lack  of  fulfilment 
would  constitute  a  test  of  the  prophet's 
claims. 

Let  it  further  be  supposed  that  as 
years  pass  the  events  enumerated 
in  the  prediction  actually  occur  and 
in  the  manner  detailed  in  the  prophecy. 
The  events  do  not  appear  in  a  spec- 
tacular fashion,  but  rather  as  the  re- 
sult of  the  operation  and  development 
of  things  temporal.  The  events  are 
well  known  and  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance to  be  recorded  in  important 
places  in  history.  Then  let  it  be  sup- 
posed that  the  followers  of  the  prophet 
call  the  attention  of  the  world  to  the 
prediction  and  its  fulfilment.  In  a 
word,  suppose  that  they  supply  ample 
proof  for  every  claim  made. 

And  now  our  question,  "What  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  world  with  respect 
to  this  matter?"  The  reasoning  adopt- 
ed by  Dr.  Spalding  would  demand  that 
"no  thoughtful  person  can  be  asked  to 
deny  any  prophecy  made  by  this  In- 
dividual, but,  on  the  otner  hand,  hon- 
esty will  require  him,  with  whatever 
personal  regret,  to  accept  his  prophe- 
cies and  the  whole  body  of  belief  which 
has    been    built   upon    them    and    upon 


338 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


the  reputation  their  publication  gave  to 
their  author."*  It  may  be  & 
question  in  the  minds  of  some  whether 
Dr.  Spaldin^-  would  be  willing  to  per- 
mit his  rule  to  operate  both  ways.  Per- 
haps some  day  he  will  inform  us. 

Tt  might  be  interesting  to  make  fur- 
ther suppositions  with  respect  to  this 
man  Joseph  Smith.  Let  us  suppose 
that  as  far  back  as  1833  he  claimed  1o 
have  received  through  revelation  what 
is  termed  a  Word  of  Wisdom.  Sup- 
pose that  this  Word  of  Wisdom  coun- 
selled against  the  use  of  alcoholic 
liquors,  tobacco  and  hot  drinks  (inter- 
preted to  mean  caffein-bearing  bever- 
ages), and  against  the  use  of  meat, 
other  than  in  "sparing"  quantities,  and 
that  only  in  times  of  cold  or  excessive 
hunger.  Suppose  that  this  Word  of 
Wisdom  gave  promise  to  all  who  com- 
plied with  its  teachings,  and  the  other 
commandments,  the  blessings  of 
stronger  minds  and  healthier  bodies,  all 
of  which  would  be  accompanied  by  a 
marked  reduction  in  the  death  rate. 
Suppose  that  this  Word  of  Wisdom  was 
given  to  the  Church  and  published  long 
before  any  serious  scientific  work  had 
been  done  along  the  lines  suggested. 
And  further  suppose  that  now  for  80 
years  the  members  of  the  Church  have 
fairly  well  complied  with  its  teachings. 

And  then  again  let  it  be  supposed 
that  now  some  years  after  the 
appearance  of  the  Word  of  Wis- 
dom, temperance  organizations  be- 
gin to  increase  throughout  the 
land  having  for  their  purpose 
abstinence  from  .alcoholic  bev- 
erages. Suppose  that  civic  organ- 
izations and  betterment  leagues  seri- 
ously discussed  the  matter.  Suppose 
that  the  problem  becomes  so  vital 
that  the  various  states  and 
cities  throughout  the  United  States 
find  it  necessary  to  enact  more  and 
more  stringent  laws  pertaining  to 
the  pale  and  use  of  these  alcoholic 
liquors.  Suppose  that  several  of  the 
states  enact  absolutely  prohibitory 
laws.      Suppose    that    medical    men    al- 


(*  Slightly  paraphrased  by  the  present 
writer.) 


most  as  a  unit  decide  that  hereafter 
alcohol  must  not  be  used  in  the  treat- 
ment of  disease,  except  occasion- 
ally for  external  use.  Suppose  that 
criminoligists  recognize  it  as  one  of 
the  chief  causes  of  crime.  Suppose  that 
leaders  in  commercial  activity  avoid 
the  employment  of  habitual  users. 
Suppose  that  life  insurance  companies 
report  an  increased  death  rate  of  2  5 
per  cent  among  non-abstiners. 

Suppose  further  that  a  few  years 
after  the  publication  of  The  Word  of 
Wisdom  scientists  contemporaneously 
discover  a  poisonous  alkaloid  pres- 
ent in  these  so-called  hot  drinks.  Sup  • 
pose  that  it  becomes  known  that  an 
astringent  substance  is  also  present. 
Suppose  that  scientists  declare  that 
these  hot  drinks  give  rise  to  numerous 
ailments  including  constipation  and 
kidney  trouble.  Suppose  that  the 
chief  chemist  in  the  employ  of  the 
United  States,  in  an  article  written  for 
a  trade  journal,  state  that  if  these 
beverages  are  not  used  in  greater 
moderation  the  time  will  soon  come 
when  the  people  of  the  nation  will  rise 
up    and    legislate    against    them. 

And  again  let  it  be  supposed  that 
the  niootine  present  in  tobacco  is 
recognized  as  a  deadly  poison  and 
powerful  depressant.  Suppose  that  the 
use  of  tobacco  is  recognized  by  sci- 
entists as  responsible  for  the  presence 
of  a  multitude  of  physiological  dis- 
orders. Suppose  that  coaches  ab- 
solutely prohibit  its  use  among 
athletes.  Suppose  that  its  use  by  stu- 
dents is  invarialy  associated  with  low 
scholarship.  Suppose  that  among 
athletes  of  the  most  perfect  type 
its  use  is  associated  with  loss  in  lung 
capacity  of  practically  10  per  cent.  Sup- 
pose that  judges  in  juvenile  courts 
everywhere  recognize  it  as  the  chief 
cause   of  juvenile   delinquency. 

And  finally  let  it  be  supposed  that 
many  years  after  the  publication  of 
the  Word  of  Wisdom  the  science  of 
dietetics  is  recognized.  Suppose  that 
interest  centers  around  the  food  re- 
quirements of  the  body.  Suppose  that 
scientists  discover  that  in  the  large  in- 
testine    proteids     undergo     pronounced 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


339 


purification.  Suppose  that  it  is  rec- 
ognized that  autointoxication  may  re- 
sult from  intestinal  putrifaction. 
Suppose  that  scientists  insist  that 
the  proteids  contained  in  meat  givs 
rise  to  this  autointoxication.  Suppose 
that  it  is  quite  generally  agreed  among 
scientists  that  the  American  people 
are  eating  altogether  too  much  meat. 
Suppose  that  it  is  shown  that  the  in- 
gestion of  large  quantities  of  meat  is 
responsible  for  numerous  ailments. 
Suppose  that  it  is  declared  by  author- 
ities that  meat  is  more  obnoxious  in 
warm  weather  than  in  cold.  Suppose 
that  is  shown  in  the  experience  of 
the  United  States  army  that  the  death 
rate  among  soldiers  is  very  greatly 
increased  through  eating  much  meat 
in  warm  weather.  Suppose  that  it  is 
announced  by  the  acknowledged  great- 
est bacteriologist  in  the  world  that 
purification  in  the  intestines  is  large- 
ly responsible  for  old  age  and  that 
through  the  elimination  of  this  in- 
testinal purification  old  age  may  very 
materially    be    deferred. 

In  a  word  let  it  be  assumed  that 
scientists  have  completely  vindicated 
the  claims  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom. 
What  then  will  be  the  duty  of  the 
world  with  respect  to  Joseph  Smith? 
The  method  employed  by  Dr.  Spald- 
ing would  require  that  mankind  not 
only  accept  the  Word  of  Wisdom  but 
everything  else  which  Joseph  Smith 
claimed  to  have  received  through  rev- 
elation. And,  furthermore,  those  who 
did  not  join  in  this  general  acceptance 
would,  by  him,  be  classed  among  the 
thoughtless  and   dishonest. 

With  this  singular  reasoning  adopted 
by  our  reverend  friend  the  Latter-day 
Saints  are  forced  to  disagree.  They 
have  nothing  inground  into  their  na- 
tures more  deeply  than  the  statement 
of  the  Apostle  Paul,  "Prove  all  things; 
hold  fast  that  which  is  good,"  "Mor- 
monism"  does  rot  feel  that  in  justice 
it  can  ask  the  world  to  accept  all  of 
its  claims  because  a  single  point  has 
teen  demonstrated.  Some  individuals 
require  more  evidence  than  others.  AH 
that  "Mormonism"  can  ask  is  an  un- 
biased investigation.     It  does  not  want 


to  be  finally  adjudged  upon  the  out- 
come of  only  one  point.  It  asks,  it  de- 
mands,   a    complete    investigation. 

Anything  short  of  this  would  result 
unfairly.  To  illustrate.  Suppose  that 
the  first  inquiry  result  in  proving  that 
Joseph  Smith  was,  in  that  instance, 
wrong.  Or  suppose  that  chance  de- 
signed that  in  the  first  instance  he  was 
found  to  be  right.  These  facts  prove 
two  things  only;  in  the  first  instance 
he  was  wrong,  and  in  the  second  in- 
stance he  was  right,  nothing  more. 
They  prove  absolutely  nothing  with 
respect  to  other  of  his  operations.  It 
is  true,  however,  that  if  he  be  found 
wrong  in  instance  after  instance,  in- 
ferential evidence  would  lead  one 
to  believe  that  he  was  wrong 
in  the  majority  of  cases.  (This 
rule  will  work  both  ways).  But  in  order 
to  prove  that  he  was  entirely  wrong 
and  that  the  "whole  body  of  belief" 
should  be  repudiated,  every  case  must 
be  examined  upon  its  own  merits. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  should  not,  and  for  that 
matter  do  not,  maintain  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  infallible.  He  was  human 
and  possessed  human  weaknesses  and 
human  faults.  Being  such,  he  was  un- 
doubtedly here  and  there  mistaken.  His 
followers  claim,  however,  that  his 
weaknesses  were  few  and  his  virtues 
many.  According  to  Christian  belief, 
the  Son  of  God  was  the  only  perfect 
man  to  grace  the  earth  by  his  presence. 
If  then,  because  of  his  weaknesses,  we 
dismiss  Joseph  Smith,  the  prophets  of 
ancient  times  must  likewise  go. 

Shall  it  be  argmd  that  because  a 
man  receives  divine  help  at  one  time 
that  he  is  always  inspired?  or  the 
converse,  that  because  he  may  at  one 
time  have  been  led  by  Satanic  in- 
fluences that  he  is  always  evil?  If  so, 
the  virtues  of  Christianity  are  at  an 
end.  Does  it  follow  that  because  a 
man  thinks  that  he  is  right  at  one  time, 
and  so  proclaims  himself,  but  is  later 
shown  to  be  wrong,  that  he  is  invaria- 
bly wrong?  We  do  not  judge  tem- 
poral things  In  that  manner.  No  Chris- 
tian ever  lived  who  was  guided  in  every 
act  of  his  life  by  divine  effulgence.  And 


340 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


occasionally  he  was  wrong  when  he 
thought   that  he  was  right. 

If  through  future  investigation,  there- 
fore, it  can  be  shown  that  Joseph  Smith 
was  absolutely  wrong  in  his  transla- 
tion of  the  characters  reproduced  in 
the  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  shall  we  say 
that  his  other  works  of  translation  are 
wholly  wrong?  Or  shall  we  be  justified 
in  going  so  far  as  to  state  that  the  re- 
maining part  of  the  Book  of  Abraham 
is  wrong?  In  the  judgment  of  the  writ- 
er, reason  scoffs  at  the  intimation  of  an 
affirmative  reply. 

The  best  men  the  world  has  ever 
known  have  here  and  there  made  mis- 
takes. There  have  been  no  exceptions. 
Scientists,  philosophers  and  religionists 
alike  have  all  erred.  Would  it  not  be 
suicidal  to  repudiate  the  work  of  man- 
kind because  of  these  occasional  mis- 
takes? Yet  the  method  of  sweeping 
denunciation  advanced  by  Dr.  Spald- 
ing would  require  that  it  be  done,  and 
that  all  who  would  refuse  to  follow  in 
this  senseless  slaughter  would  be 
branded  as  ignorant  and  dishonest. 

From  the  writer's  point  of  view  it  Is 
not  only  probable  but  possible  that  the 
world's  greatest  prophets  have  now  and 
again  made  mistakes.  Prophets  are 
human  beings  whose  minds  are  illum- 
inated by  divine  intelligence,  the-  de- 
gree of  illumination  varying  with  the 
responsiveness  of  the  human  spirit. 
Some  prophets  have  approached  perfec- 
tion much  closer  than  others,  but  abso- 
lute perfection  for  a  lite  time  is  never 
realized  in  the  flesh. 

And  so  it  should  not  only  be  con- 
ceded but  urged  that  Joseph  Smith  may 
have  made  mistakes.  (Whether  mis* 
takes  were  made  in  the  translation  of 
the  Egyptian  characters  as  reproduced 
in  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price  is  not  un- 
der discussion  here.)  Any  other  atti- 
tude would  argue  for  his  infallibility,  a 
condition  which  the  present  writer  does 
not  accept,  either  for  Joseph  Smith  or 
for  the  prophets  of  old.  If  the  works  of 
Joseph  Smith  were  being  investigated 
with  fairness  equal  to  that  employed 
by  the  examiner  in  the  college,  or  the 
jury  in  the  court,  he  would  not  be 
adjudged  a  failure  or  convicted  because 
a  single  error  might  have  been  found. 


And  so  we  ask  the  question,  "What 
has  Dr.  Spalding's  inquiry  shown?" 
The  incompleteness  of  the  inquiry  was 
pointed  out  early  in  this  paper,  but  if 
the  argument  be  accepted  as  complete 
and  final,  what  then  does  it  show?  It 
gives  an  illustration  of  ONE  case  in 
which  Joseph  Smith  was  wrong.  It 
shows  that  he  was  not  infallible,  a 
condition  long  held  by  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  He  was  mortal  and  his  follow- 
ers knew  it.  They  asserted,  however, 
that  his  strength  very  greatly  predom- 
inated over  his  weaknesses.  If  this 
case  proves  to  be  one  in  which  Joseph 
Smith  was  mistaken  the  Latter-day 
Saints  want  to  know  it,  and  further- 
more they  will  assist  in  investigating 
it.  They  have  not  thought  of  this  par- 
ticular instance  as  being  a  mistake, 
but  if  final  investigation  so  proves  it, 
they  can  accept  the  conclusion  without 
in  any  way  disturbing  their  confidence 
in  the  multitude  of  cases  in  which  they 
know  that  he  was  right.  They  have  ap- 
pealed to  the  world  to  investigate  the 
claims  of  their  religion,  and  stand 
ready  to  accept  the  results.  But,  mark 
you,  these  results  must  not  be  based 
upon  the  kind  of  reasoning  employed 
by  Dr.  Spalding. 

The  inquiry  ends,  therefore,  with  the 
case  in  hand.  It  cannot  be  considered 
as  applying  to  the  text  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  Book  of  Moses  also  con- 
tained in  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price.  The 
absurdity  of  making  sweeping  conclu- 
sions has  already  been  pointed  out.  The 
hope  of  testing  the  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  by  this  particular  in- 
quiry has  led  Dr.  Spalding  far  afield. 

It  would  be  a  very  grep. t  source  of 
pleasure  to  the  Latter  day  Saints  if 
the  world  would  appoint  a  committee 
consisting  of  wisa  and  honest  men 
whose  duty  would  be  prayerfully  and 
impartially  to  investigate  the  claims 
of  "Mormonism."  The  committee 
could  pass  on  each  claim  independent- 
ly, until  the  list  was  exhausted.  Then 
summaries  could  be  made  and  the  ver- 
dict rendered.  The  Latter-day  Sainfs, 
I  am  convinced,  would  be  more  than 
willing  to  submit  their  religion  to 
such   a   test.       They   would   not,    how- 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


341 


ever,  be  willing  to  have  It.  declared 
wholly  wrong  because  of  a  very  small 
number  of  errors.  (Exists  there  a 
religious  body  who  would?)  No  just 
and  impartial  judge  would  require  it 
of  them.  They  themselv-js  do  not 
look  upon  it  as  being  faultless.  It  has 
cr  me  from  God  through  human  hands. 
They  claim  that  it  came  as  a  revela- 
tion of  God  to  man,  and  that  here 
and  there  within  it  there  are  probably 
the  finger  prints  of  mortality.  If  man, 
the  medium  through  which  it  came, 
had  been  perfect,  the  religion  would 
have  been  perfect.  The  Latter-day 
Saints  do  claim,  however,  that  "Mor- 
monism"  is  the  most  nearly  perfect' 
religion  upon  the  face  of  the  earth, 
far  from  excepting  that  espoused  by 
the  writer  of  the  pamphlet  under  ques- 
tion. 

The  reader  is  now  asked  to  imagine 
the  publication  of  a  pamphlet  bearing 
the  title  "Napoleon  Bonaparte,  as  a 
General;  an  Inquiry."  The  first  pages 
told  of  the  sincerity  of  the  general  and 
the  devotion  of  his  followers.  It  also 
spoke  of  their  fairness  and  integrity. 
And    near    the    close    of   the    argument 


the  author  stated  that  if  it  could  be 
shown  that  Napoleon  had  made  a  mis- 
take in  one  battle  all  other  claims  re- 
lating to  his  generalship  would  there- 
by be  destroyed.  To  the  pamphlet 
were  appended  the  statements  of  a 
number  of  competent  officers  to  the 
effect  that  Napoleon  had  made  a  mis- 
take at  Waterloo.  The  author  then 
called  upon  all  men  to  repudiate  Na- 
poleon not  only  at  "Waterloo  but  else- 
where, and  Anally  branded  all  who 
would  not  do  so  as  ignorant  and  dis- 
honest. 

Reader,  what  would  be  the  nature 
of  the  reception  of  this  pamphlet? 
Would  the  reasoning  of  its  author 
convince  mankind  that  Napoleon  was 
not  a  general  in  any  sense  of  the  term 
and  should  be  repudiated,  or  would  the 
author  of  the  pamphlet  be  regarded 
with  some  degree  of  pity  and  quickly 
forgotten? 

(Note:  The  present  writer  is  by  no 
means  convinced  that  Joseph  Smith 
incorrectly  translated  the  Book  of 
Abraham.  An  article  dealing  with 
this  phase  of  the  subject  will  follow 
later.) 


Scholars  Disagree. 


BY  JUNIUS  F.  WELLS 


[On  December  19  the  following  a 
author  has  permitted  the  Era  to  reprin 
Editor  Deseret  News: 

Dear  Sir — I  read  with  deep  interest 
the  editorial  review  in  Tuesday's  paper 
of  Bishop  Spalding's  treatise  upon  the 
cuts  of  the  original  drawings  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham  and  was  particularly 
pleased  with  your  wise  and  clever  com- 
ments upon  the  discrepancies  and  dif- 
ferences of  the  world's  eminent  savants 
in  their  respective  interpretations  of 
the  Egyptian  hieroglyphics  and  hypo- 
cephali  that  have  been  so  variously 
and  learnedly  deciphered  by  them. 

It  reminded  me  of  an  inquiry  I  had 
the  opportunity  of  instituting  while  in 
London  in  1903.  Through  the  favor  of 
Hon.  James  W.  Barclay,  M.P.,  a  publi- 
cist of  considerable  note  and  friend 
of  many  of  England's  foremost  inves- 


ppeared  in  the  Deseret  News,  which  the 

t. — The  Editors.] 

tigators  in  the  field  of  archaeological 
research,  and  who  took  a  keen 
interest  in  the  matter,  I  had  the 
Pearl  of  Great  Price,  containing 
these  cuts  and  Joseph  Smith,  the 
Prophet's  interpretation  of  t  hem 
sent  first  to  Sir  Flinders  Petrie,  who, 
however,  being  away  from  London, 
could  not  then  be  reached,  and  second- 
ly to  Dr.  Henry  Woodward,  F.R.S., 
who,  after  examining  it  himself,  passed 
it  on  to  the  very  celebrated  Dr.  E.  A. 
W.  Budge,  head  of  the  Department  of 
Egyptian  and  Assyrian  Antiquities  of 
the  British  Museum  for  many  years; 
the  author  of  a  voluminous  History  of 
Egypt;  of  the  Dictionary  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  and  of  numerous  works 
upon  the  language,  religion,  poetry  and 


342 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


mysticism  of  ancient  Egypt  and  As- 
syria. I  also,  having  cards  of  intro- 
duction, presented  the  Pearl  of  Great 
Price  personally  at  the  museum  to 
Dr.  Lloyd,  keeper  of  Assyrian  antiqui- 
ties. He,  however,  merely  glanced  at 
the  engravings  and,  observing  that  the 
characters  were  Egyptian,  told  me  to 
take  it  in  to  Dr.  Budge.  As  the  latter 
was  not  in  his  office,  I  was  not  able*  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  a  personal  inter- 
view. 

The  purpose  of  this  inquiry  was  to 
secure  the  opinion  of  those  learned  in 
ancient  Egyptian  writings  of  the  genu- 
ineness and  meaning  of  these  cuts.  In 
response  I  received  letters  written  by 
Drs.  Woodward  and  Budge.  Mr.  Bar- 
clay's comment  after  reading  them  and 
handing  them  to  me  was  that  there  ap- 
peared to  be  room  enough  in  the  differ- 
ence of  their  interpretations  to  admit 
Joseph  Smith's  to  at  least  an  equal 
footing  with  them. 

These  letters  are  as  follows: 

12  9    Beaufort    St., 
Chelsea,    S.    W. 

October     10,     19  03. 
My  dear  Mr.  Barclay: 

Papyri  and  the  literature  thereof 
are  all  at  Bloomsbury,  so  I  have  sent 
your  request  on  to  my  friend,  Dr.  Ernest 
A.  T.  W.  Budge,  keeper  of  Egptian, 
and  Assyrian  antiquities,  to  reply  to 
and  I  hope  he  will  do  so.  Savigny  wrote 
the  account  of  the  first  Napoleon's 
Egyptian  campaign  and  in  it  are 
papyri  (drawn)  before  the  year  1870. 
I  think  all  Smith's  drawings  are  very 
bad  copies  of  early  genuine  papyri  en- 
gravings which  he  must  have  seen 
somewhere.  His  interpretations  are  of 
course  all  rubbish!  Abraham  being 
sacrificed  by  Elkanah  is  an  embalmer. 
knife  in  hand,  preparing  to  disembowel 
a  dead  body  to  embalm  it!  and  the 
gods  are  a  row  of  mummvpots. 

HENRY     WOODWARD. 

Department  of  Egyptian  and  Assyrian 
Antiquities, 

British  Museum 

London    W.   C. 
No.    4272  9.10.03 

My  dear  Sir:  — 

No.  1  is  an  imitation  of  the  scene 
from  the  Book  of  The  Dead  in  which 
Anubis  stands  by  the  side  of  the  de- 
ceased on  his  bier.  The  interpreta- 
tion  is   bosh. 

No.  2  is  from  one  of  the  hvpocephali. 
I  should  say  copied  from  the  late  Dr. 
Birch's  papers.  The  interpretation  is 
likewise  bosh. 

No.  3  is  adoration  of  Osiris  by  some 


deceased  person.  It  is  a  falsified  copy. 

The  letter  press  is  as  idiotic  as  the 
pictures,  and  it  is  clearly  based  on 
the  Bible  and  some  of  the  Old  Test. 
Apocryphal   histories. 

I  return  the  book  and  the  letters 
herewith. 

I    am. 

Yours  very  truly, 

E.    A.    W.    BUDGE. 
Dr.   Henry  Woodward,    F.   R.   S. 

I  forwarded  all  the  correspondence 
to  President  P.  M.  Lyman,  then  at 
Liverpool,  for  his  perusal  and  com- 
ment, and  take  pleasure  in  quoting 
from  his  reply: 

42    Islington,    Liverpool, 

October    16.    1903. 

I  fully  endorse  your  estimate  of  the 
findings  of  Doctors  Budge  and  Wood- 
ward, I  hope  Mr.  Barclay  observes  that 
the  learned  Doctors  are  as  adverse  to 
each  other  as  they  are  to  the  Prophet. 
They  concede  that  the  characters  are 
copies  of  genuine  originals  even  if  they 
are  poorly  executed.  They  can  be  read 
by  them.  This  in  favor  of  the  candor 
of  the  Prophet.  Now  we  have  three 
readings  and  two  must  stand  con- 
demned for  rendering  a  corpse  with 
eyes   open   and   limbs   raised   up. 

Of  the  three  readings  there  can  be 
only  one  correct.  The  learned  readings 
must  be  wrong,  and  the  Prophet's  may 
be  right.  It  has  this  merit,  it  is  rea- 
sonable, which  cannot  be  said  of  the 
others.  It  is  most  fortunate  that  you 
o^+ained    the    two   readings. 

Preserve  the  documents  and  let  them 
°-o  home  and  they  will  be  profitable  to 
us. 

At  Prpsidfnt  Lyman's  request  Elder 
Joseph  J.  Cannon.  his  assistant  in  the 
Liverpool  office,  also  wrote  me  in 
part   as   follows: 

Liverpool,    Eng., 

Oct.    16.    1903. 

President  Lyman  suggested  my 
writing  you  regarding  the  letters  from 
Doctors  Woodward  and  Budge. 

We  were  very  much  struck  by  their 
unity  in  declaring  the  Prophet's  in- 
terpretation bosh,  rubbish,  and  the  ex- 
tremely wide  difference  between  their 
own  interpretations. 

Dr.  Woodward  says:  "Abraham  beinsr 
sacrificed  by  Elkanah  is  an  embalmer 
knife  in  hand  preparing  to  disembowel 
a  Head  body  to  embalm  it!" 

Dr.  Budge  savs:  "No.  1  is  an  imita- 
tion of  the  scene  from  the  Book  of  the 
Dead  in  which  Anubis  stands  bv  the 
side  of  the  deceased  on  his  bier  " 

Anubis  was  the  deity,  according  to 
EervDtian  mvthology.  that  escorted  the 
spirits  of  the  departed  to  their  abid- 
ing   place.     With     this    divergence     of 


"JOSEPH   SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


343 


opinion  among  the  learned,  we  think  it 
not  unreasonable  to  accept  the  Pro- 
phet's views.  As  you  remarked,  the 
reclining  figure  looks  anything  but  like 
a   corpse. 

Dr.  W.  writes  "the  gods  are  a  row  of 
mummy-pots!"  That  may  be,  but  the 
sacred  mummy-pots  would  themselves 
be  objects  of  adoration,  and  the  top, 
at  least,  is  formed  into  characteristic 
shapes.  Their  difference  of  form  indi- 
cates   that    they    represent    something. 

Dr.  Budge  thinks  that  No.  2  is  from 
the  late  Dr.  Birch's  papers.  I  could 
find  none  of  Dr.  Birch's  early  writings 
in  the  public  library  here.  I  found  a 
list  of  them,  however,  and  they  might 
be  examined  at  the  British     Museum. 

As  this  inquiry  with  its  responses 
from   Egyptologists   of   eminence   quite 


equal  to  those  Bishop  Spalding  quotes, 
antedates  the  latter's  inquiry  by  ten 
or  a  dozen  years,  it  at  least  serves  to 
show  that  we  have  not  been  lax,  nor 
afraid  to  learn  from  whatever  light  the 
wisdom -of  the  world  might  throw  upon 
the  illustrations  of  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham and  their  translation  by  the 
Prophet  Joseph. 

Believing  the  above  might  prove  of 
interest  to  your  readers  and  that  it 
should  find  the  permanence  of  publi- 
cation, I  take  pleasure  in  submitting  it 
for  your  use  and  comment. 
Bespectfully, 

JUNIUS  F.  WELLS, 

Salt  Lake  City,  19th  December,  1912. 


Bishop  Spalding's  Jumps  in  the  Logical  Process 


BY   JOHN    HENRY   EVANS,   OF   THE    LATTER-DAY    SAINTS'    UNIVERSITY 


"In  almost  every  act  of  our  per- 
ceiving faculties,"  says  John  Stuart 
Mill,  "observation  and  inference  are 
intimately  blended.  What  we  are  said 
to  observe  is  usually  a  compound  re- 
sult of  which  one-tenth  may  be  ob- 
servation and  the  remaining  nine- 
tenths    inference." 

If  we  substitute  the  word  "fact"  for 
the  word  "observation"  in  this  pas- 
sage, we  shall  have  a  most  accurate 
description  of  the  logical  process  in- 
volved in  the  pamphlet  on  "Joseph 
Smith.  Jr.,  As  A  Translator,"  by  Bish- 
op F.  S.  Spalding,  of  the  Utah  Episcopal 
church.  Fact  and  inference  are  here 
so  "intimately  blended"  that  special 
attention  to  this  phase  of  the  ques- 
tion is  needed  before  one  can  appre- 
ciate the  numerous  errors  in  the  rea- 
soning process.  And  so  I  shall  un- 
dertake in  this  brief  article  to  point 
out  where  links  are  missing  in  the 
bishop's  chain   of  reasoning. 

Bishop  Spalding  submits  to  eight 
Egyptologists  tve  three  facsimiles  in 
the  Book  of  Abraham  with  expla- 
nations by  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
t^cir  opinions  as  to  whether  they  were 
translated  correctly.  The  scholars 
answer  substantially  that  they  were 
not  correctly  translated.  That  is  the 
fact.      What    is    the    inference    drawn 


from  the  fact?  That  the  Book  of 
Abraham  as  a  whole  was  not  trans- 
lated correctly!  Is  this  leap  in  the 
logical    process   warranted? 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  are 
afraid  of  the  scholars,  let  me  say  that 
this  leap  is  not  made  'by  the  eight 
learned  men.  They  tell  us  only  that 
the  figures  submitted  to  them  were 
not  translated  correctly.  Before  they 
would  be  warranted  in  saying  that  the 
entire  Book  of  Abraham  was  not 
properly  translated,  they  would  have 
to  examine  the  original  papyrus,  or  a 
copy  of  it,  from  which  the  Book  of 
Abraham  was  translated.  The  infer- 
ence therefore  is  wholly  the  bishop's, 
so  that  we  are  not  here  -bucking  the 
scholarship  of  the  special  scholar  but 
rather  the  logic  of  the  logician;  and 
nobody  has  a  corner  on  reasoning. 
Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  hiero- 
glyphics submitted  to  the  scholars  con- 
stitute less  than  c ne-se-« nth  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham  and  that  only  an 
accompaniment  of  the  text.  The  ques- 
tion therefore,  becomes,  "Is  any  one 
justified  in  drawing  a  conclusion  re- 
specting an  entire  manuscript  from  a 
statement  which  was  made  with  re- 
spect only  to  a  very  small  part  of  that 
manuscript?" 

The   scholars   are   practically   agreed 


344 


MPROVEMENT  ERA 


that  the  hieroglyphics  are  badly  cop- 
ied. If  so,  and  there  is  ample 
room  for  'loubt  of  that,  may 
not  some  part  of  the  learned 
men's  observations  concerning  them 
point  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
translator  was  a  poor  copyist  rath- 
er than  a  poor  translator?  This  ap- 
pears to  be  the  more  probable  from 
the  fact  of  differences  in  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  scholars.  And  then,  too, 
may  it  not  be  possible  that  these  par- 
ticular hieroglyphics  present  peculiar 
difficulties?  For  every  one  knows,  who 
has  done  any  work  in  translation,  that 
not  all  parts  of  a  given  literary  pro- 
duction are  of  the  same  ease  in  the 
translation.  And  the  uninitiated  in 
the  lore  of  the  ancientEgyptians 
would  naturally  imagine  that  the  un- 
evenness  would  be  still  greater  in 
hieroglyphic    writing. 

I  do  not  wish  to  claim  too  much  for 
my  point.  I  do  not  say  definitely 
and  positively  that  this  is  so.  But  I 
do  insist  that  the  doubt  thus  thrown 
on  the  bishop's  inference  makes  it 
impossible  for  him  reasonably  to  build 
so  high  a  superstructure  as  he  does 
on  so  frail  a  foundation.  The  infer- 
ence  is   clearly  unwarranted. 

II. 

In  the  next  place,  the  bishop  de- 
clares that,  since  the  translation  of 
the  Book  of  Abraham  was  incorrect, 
and  since  also  the  inspiration  in 
the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  that  of  the  Book  of  Abraham  were 
the  same,  therefore  the  Book  or  Mor- 
mon, too,  was  incorrectly  translated. 
This  is  a  longer  jump  in  the  logical 
process  than  the  one  I  have  just 
pointed  out.  And  here  again  I  ask, 
"Is   the    inference    warranted?" 

The  inference  here  turns  on  the 
point,  Was  there  a  sufficient  differ- 
ence between  the  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  and  the  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Abraham  to  weaken 
or  destroy  the  reasonableness  of  this 
inference?  If  it  can  be  shown  that 
there  is  a  single  difference  in  an  es- 
sential particular,  then  the  inference 
falls  to  the  ground. 

A    vital    difference    in    the    mode    of 


translating  the  two  books  lies  in  the 
directness  of  the  inspiration,  in  the 
case  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  as  com- 
pared with  the  Book  of  Abraham.  In 
the  translation  of  the  Nephite  record 
the  Prophet  used  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim;  in  the  case  of  the  Abrahamic 
manuscript  there  is  no  mention  of 
any  direct  means  in  the  translation. 
Then  again.  Joseph  expressly  says  thai 
he  studied  the  writings  of  the  ancient 
Patriarch  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
structing a  grammar  of  the  language. 
Moreover,  he  was  at  work  on  the 
papyrus  intermittently  from  February, 
1835,  to  the  same  month  in  the  year 
1842 — a  period  of  seven  years.  Do 
not  these  facts,  which  the  bishop  ad- 
mits inferentially,  point  to  the  greater 
use  of  the  Prophet's  own  resources  in 
the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham than  was  the  case  in  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Mormon?  And  is 
not  this  difference  sufficient  to  invali- 
date the  reasoning-  of  Bishop  Spald- 
ing? 

In  saying  this,  I  am  not  denying  the 
inspiration  in  the  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham.  I  am  merely 
emphasizing  a  distinction,  well  known 
to  the  bishop  as  a  theological  student; 
namely,  that  between  direct  revela- 
tion and  inspiration.  But  the  fact 
that  there  was  an  essential  difference 
between  the  translation  of  this  record 
and  the  Book  of  Mormon  destroys  the 
force  of  the  'bishop's  reasoning  that 
the  Nephite  volume  was  incorrectly 
translated  'because  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham contains  errors  in  the  transla- 
tion. 

III. 

A  third  false  inference  lies  in  the 
transition  from  the  thought,  "Joseph 
Smith  was  not  an  inspired  translator," 
to  the  thought,  "Therefore  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  to  be  consistent  are  required 
to  'repudiate'  not  only  the  Book  of 
Mormon  but  also  the  whole  body  of 
belief,  which  has  been  built  upon  it." 
There  are  two  points  here  that  de- 
serve consideration. 

The  first  is  the  bishop's  queer  blun- 
der that  the  whole  body  of  the  "Mor- 
mon" belief  is  built  upon  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  For  this  is  the  only  mean- 
ing  I   can  give   to   the   phrase.     As  a 


.       "JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


345 


matter  of  fact,  the  Book  of  Mormon 
bears  no  more  basic  a  relation  to  the 
work  known  as  "Mormonism"  than 
the  other  visions  and  revelations 
given  in  this  dispensation.  The 
body  of  belief  of  the  Latter-day- 
Saints,  in  addition  to  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  is  built  upon  (1) 
the  vision  0f  the  Father  and  the 
Son  to  the  prophet,  (2)  the  appearing 
to  him  of  John  the  Baptist,  (3)  the 
visitation  of  Peter  and  James  and 
John,  (4)  the  revelations  in  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  (6) 
the  oral  and  written  teachings 
of  the  prophet  during  the  years 
of  his  personal  ministry.  If  the  Ne- 
phite  record  had  not  been  revealed 
at  all,  in  this  dispensation,  it  is  doubt- 
ful whether  the  body  of  "Mormon" 
belief  would  in  any  essential. particu- 
lar be  different  from  what  it  is.  I 
do  not  say  this  in  disparagement  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  nor  in  a  spirit 
of  criticism  of  the  way  in  which  our 
dispensation  was  ushered  in,  for  there 
appear  what  to  me  are  sufficient  rea- 
sons for  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon  at  the  time  of  its  appear- 
ing; but  I  call  attention  to  the  fact 
as  showing-  how  little  the  whole  body 
of  belief  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  real- 
ly depends  on  the  revelation  of  the 
Nephite  record.  It  would  be  Impos- 
sible to  point  out  any  writing  In  the 
Church  literature  that  is  so  simple  and 
clear  on  the  principles  of  the  gospel, 
and  the  "Mormon"  elders  find  in  it  a 
great  storehouse  of  lucid  exposition; 
still  it  is  far  from  being  the  structural 
foundation  of  our  body  of  belief  that 
the    bishop's    words    require. 

The  second  point  is  this:  Suppose 
that  the  whole  body  of  belief  of  the 
Latter-day  Saints  were  built  upon  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  would  it  therefore 
follow  that  this  body  of  belief  ought 
to  be  repudiated  on  the  hypothesis 
that  the  Nephite  record  was  not  trans- 
lated correctly?  Is  this  inference  log- 
ically drawn? 

Once  a  man  gets  an  idea,  or  a  sys- 
tem of  ideas,  it  does  not  matter,  so 
far  as  philosophical  or  practical  pur- 
poses are  concerned,  where  or  how  he 
got    them.     The  only  questions  we  may 


properly  ask  about  them  are,  are  they 
true?  are  they  consistent  with  one 
another?  do  they  produce  good  re- 
sults in  the  lives  of  those  who  accept 
them?  Here,  for  instance,  is  the  idea 
of  honesty.  You  have  applied  it  in 
your  life,  and  have  felt  its  uplifting 
effects.  Suppose,  now.  it  could  be 
shown  that  the  man  who  first  got 
the  idea  was  self-deceived.  Would  you 
therefore  have  to  repudiate  the  idea? 
And  yet  according  to  Bishop  Spald- 
ing's reasoning  the  results  of  this 
principle,  in  your  life,  would  count 
for  nothing  as  compared  with  the 
questions  where  did  you  get  honesty? 
how   did  you   come  by   it? 

The  same  test  should  be  applied 
to  the  whole  body  of  "Mormon"  be- 
lief before  we  are  asked  to  repudiate 
it  on  the  grounds  proposed  by  the 
bishop.  The  Church  has  now  been  in 
existence  long  enough  to  have  borne 
fruit.  Is  this  fruit  good  or  not?  I 
can  only  indicate  the  line  of  thought 
to  be  followed  in  the  casting  up  of 
results.  There  is,  for  example,  the 
material  prosperity  ''Mormonism"  has 
created  in  the  body  of  its  adherents. 
The  substantial  qualities  of  industry, 
thrift,  strength,  fortitude,  courage, 
have  been  enforced  and  reinforced  by 
the  Church.  The  history  of  civiliza- 
tion proves  these  to  have  brought, 
everywhere  good  fruit,  and  any  one 
who  is  acquainted  with  the  "Mormon" 
people  knows  that  these  virtues  are 
both  taught  and  practiced  by  the 
Latter-day  Saints.  A  Gentile  banker 
in  Salt  Lake  City  declared  not  long 
ago  that  he  preferred  to  hire  boys 
from  "Mormon"  homes  because  of 
the  practical  teachings  they  have  re- 
ceived there.  Then  there  is  the  great 
organization  known  as  the  "Mormon" 
Church,  conceded  to  be  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  in  the  world.  Tested  by 
efficiency  in  doing  its  work,  it  does 
not  stand  in  any  pressing  need  of 
"readjustment."  And  finally  there  is 
the  large  and  consistent  body  of  doc- 
trine of  the  Church,  with  its  splen- 
did outlook  on  life.  Will  the  bishop 
tell  us  precisely  in  what  respect  and 
how  much  of  all  this  it  is  necessary 
for   us  to    "repudiate"    or   "readjust?" 


346 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Judged  by  results,  it  seems  to  be  a 
very  satisfactory  body  of  belief,  in- 
deed! 

What  then  is  the  sum  of  the  whole 
matter?  This:  We  are  asked  to  "re- 
adjust" the  body  of  our  belief  because 
Joseph  Smith  its  early  founder 
was  not  an  inspired  translator;  wao 
was  not  an  inspired  translator  of  the 
nook  of  Mormon,  because  he  d.d  not 
translate  correctly  the  Eook  of  Abra- 
ham; and  the  reason  why  we  know 
he  did  not  translate  the  Book  of 
Abraham  correctly  is  that  learned  men' 
bay  he  did  not  translate  correctly  a 
very  small  part  of  that  beck:  Here 
is  a  string  of  .inferences  for  you!  The 
conclusion  is  out  of  all  proportion 
to    the    urst    i;  'Jt.      What    a    crusning 


burden  the  innocent  and  diverse  tes- 
timony of  those  eight  scholars  is  made 
to  carry!  Overlooking  all  the  eviden- 
tial facts  in  favor  not  only  of  the 
di.inity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  but 
also  of  the  divine  mission  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  the  bishop  has 
gone  on  complacently  piling  infer- 
ence on  inference  till  he  has  a  super- 
structure of  argument  that  on  first 
glance  is  really  disconcerting.  But 
l.ever  was  a  conclusion  more  tortuous- 
ly reached.  Never  was  man  asked  to 
give  up  a  belief  that  satisfied  him, 
un   slighter   grounds. 

No  intelligent  Latter-day  Saint  will 
feel  called  upon  to  "repudiate"  any- 
thing through  any  such  process  of 
reasoning   as   this   of   the   Bishop's! 


"  The  Book  of  the  Dead." 


BY  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG,  M.  A. 


"The  Book  of  the  Dead,"  said  by 
some  scholars  to  be  the  oldest  book 
in  the  world,  is  a  collection  of  writ- 
ings on  religion  and  morals,  written 
and  compiled  in  the  earliest  ages  of 
Egyptian  history.  The  authors  of  the 
collection  of  books  were  priests  and 
prophets  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Nile  valley,  whose  civilization  dates 
back  at  least  four  thousand  years  be- 
fore Christ.  One  of  the  titles  which 
the  ancient  Egyptians  gave  this  book 
was  "The  Per-em-Hru,"  the  transla- 
tion of  which  has  caused  no  end  of 
controversy.  Possibly  the  best  inter- 
pretation of  it  is:  "The  Books  of  the 
Going  Forth  From  Darkness  to 
Light."  These  books  were  composed 
in  something  of  the  spirit  as  were  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament.  They 
were  to  direct  the  children  of  the 
gods  to  their  future  life.  Used  for 
a  period  of  over  four  thousand  years, 
they  were  engraved  in  parts  on 
tombs,  obelisks,  and  monuments;  and 
writ'ten  on  papyrus  rolls,  that  were 
buried  with  the  dead.  They  were  also 
often  engraved  upon  the  walls  of 
pyramids  and  the  exteriors  of  sarco- 
phagi.   Many    parts    have    been    found 


engraven       upon       plates,       of       gold 
and  brass. 

In  order  to  understand  what  in- 
fluence the  "Book  of  The  Dead"  had 
in  the  history  of  Egypt,  it  is  necessary 
to  know  something  about  the  different 
periods  of  Egyptian  history. 

There  were  two  principal  periods 
of  Egyptian  history,  before  the  time 
of  Christ.  The  first  is  called  the 
Memphite  period  which  lasted  from 
about  4,000  B.  C.  to  2,500  B.  C.  The 
second  was  the  Theban,  which  flourish- 
ed at  the  time  of  Abraham's  sojourn  in 
Egypt.  It  was  during  the  Memphite 
period  that  the  pyramids  were  built, 
near  the  old  city  of  Memphis,  lo- 
cated near  the  mouth  of  the  Nile 
river.  At  this  time,  the  Egyptians  built 
great  irrigating  canals  and  large  reser- 
voirs, and  developed  the  science  of 
astronomy  and  mathematics.  They 
were  taught  the  circumference  of  the 
earth,  and  its  relation  to  the  diameter, 
and  computed  the  distance  of  the  plan- 
ets from  the  sun,  which  they  regarded 
as  the  center  of  the  universe.  With 
all  this  knowledge  of  the  Egyptians 
pertaining  to  Astronomy,  it  is  inter- 
esting   to    note    here    that    Abraham 


"JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR.,  AS  A  TRANSLATOR" 


347 


carried  to  them  a  still  greater  know- 
ledge of  the  mathematical  sciences, 
for  Josephus,  the  historian  of  the 
Jews,  says: 

"For  whereas  the  Egyptians  were 
formerly  addicted  to  different  cust- 
oms, and  despised  one  another's  sacred 
and  accustomed  rites,  and  were  very 
angry  one  with  another  on  that  ac- 
count, Abram  conferred  with  each  of 
them,  and  confuting  the  reasonings 
they  made  use  of  every  one  for  their 
own  practices,  demonstrated  that 
such  reasonings  were  in  vain  and  void 
of  truth;  whereupon  he  was  admired 
by  them  in  those  conferences  as  a  very 
wise  man,  and  one  of  great  sagacity, 
when  he  discoursed  on  any  subject 
that  he  undertook:  and  this  not  only 
in  understanding  it,  but  in  persuading 
other  men  also  to  assent  to  him.  He 
communicated  to  them  arithmetic, 
and  delivered  to  them  the  science  of 
astronomy:  for,  before  Abram  came 
into  Egypt,  they  were  unacqaintei 
with  those  parts  of  learning:  for  that 
science  came  from  the  Chaldeans  into 
Earvi^t,  and  from  thence  to  the  Greeks 
also." 

They  no  doubt  had  beautiful 
hu'ldings  and  carried  on  an  ex- 
tensive commerce  and  trade  upon 
the  Mediterranean  sea,  and  with 
peoples  further  up  the  Nile.  It 
was  during  this  period  that  the 
"Book  of  The  Dead"  was  compiled, 
for  the  Egyptians  had  a  wonderful 
system  of  religion,  and  a  high  stand- 
ard of  ethics.  They  had  their  philoso- 
phers and  magicians,  who  have  left 
us  their  writings  and  moral  codes, 
which  are  intensely  interesting  in  that 
t'-ey  show  that  those  very  ancient  peo- 
ple had  a  high  regard  for  morals.  One 
of  these  manuscripts  may  now  be  seen 
in  the  national  library  at  Paris.  It  is 
called  the  "Prisse  Papyrus,"  and  con- 
tains eighteen  pages  of  beautiful  writ- 
;ng  in  a  latter  Egyptian  hieroglyphic. 
It  is  a  copy  of  the  Papyrus  of  "Ptah- 
Hotep,"  who  was  a  royal  prince  of 
the  Memphite  period,  and  a  teacher  of 
high  morals.  He  must  have  been  a 
wealthy  land  owner,  and  had  many 
slaves  and  servants,  whom  he  ad- 
monished to  learn  of  the  gods  of  men. 
Here  is  an  example  of  what  he  has 
written:  \ 

"Do    what    thy    master    says    to    thre. 


Doubly  good  i^  the  precept  of  our 
father,  from  whose  flesh  we  come  forth. 
What  he  says  to  us,  let  that  be  in  our 
heart,  so  as  to  greatly  satisfy  him,  that 
we  may  do  more  for  him  than  he  has 
said.  Truly  a  good  son  is  one  of  the 
gifts  of  God.  .  .  .  For  his  master,  he 
does  what  is  satisfactory,  putting  him- 
self with  all  his  heart  in  that  way. 
through  that  (i.  e.  by  these  les- 
sons) shall  be  caused  that  thy  body 
will  be  in  health,  that  the  king  will  be 
satisfied  with  thee  under #all  circum- 
stances, and  that  thou  obtain  years  of 
life  without  failure.  This  has  caused 
me  to  acquire  upon  the  earth  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  years  of  life,  with  the  gift 
of  the  favor  of  the  king  anions  the  first 
of  those  that  their  works  have  made 
noble." 

A  few  sentences  taken  at  random 
are: 

"Love  for  the  work  which  they  do. 
th-"s=  brings  men  to  God." 

"If  t^ou  hast  the  position  of  a  lead- 
er, making  plans,  go  forth  at  thy  will 
Do  perfect  things,  which  posterity  will 
remember;  not  letting  prevail  words 
which  multiply  flatteries,  raise  prid?. 
and  produce  vanity." 

The  central  figure  of  the  ancient 
Egyptian  religion  was  Osiris.  He  was 
the  god  who  presided  over  the  destinies 
of  men,  and  had  control  of  death,  the 
resurrection,  and  the  souls  and  bodie" 
of  all  children  of  the  earth.  It  is  in  the 
125th  chapter  of  the  "BOOK  OF  THE 
DEAD"  that  we  obtain  a  splendid 
idea  of  the  power  of  Osiris,  and  his  in- 
fluence as  a  god  upon  the  thoughts  of 
men.  It  contains  the  prayer  which  a 
deceased  person  made  when  he  came 
into  the  hall  of  Maati,  before  the  throne 
of    Osiris.      He    said: 

"Homaare  to  thee,  O  great  God.  thou 
Lord  of  Truth.  I  have  com*»  to  thee, 
my  Lord,  and  I  have  bro-e-ht  myself 
b'ther.  that  I  may  see  thv  beauties.  I 
know  thee,  I  know  thy  rani".  I  know 
the  names  of  the  two  and  fortv  sods, 
who  live  with  thee  in  this  hall  of 
Maati.  who  keep  ward  over  tho?e  who 
have  done  evil,  who  feed  upon  their 
blood  on  the  day  when  the  live?  of 
men  are  reckoned  up  in  the  nresence  of 
Odin's.  In  truth  I  have  come  to  thee. 
I  have  brought  Truth  to  the-.  I  have 
destroyed  wickedness  for  thee." 

\i    These     words     were  followed     by     a 

Ustatement    of    offenses  which     he    had 

■  not   committed       Some  of   them   are   as 
follows: 


348 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


1.  I   have   not   sinned   against   men. 

2.  I  have  not  wronged  my  kinsfolk. 

3.  I  have  not  committed  evil  in  the 
place  of  truth. 

5.  I  have  not  committed  acts  of 
ahnmination. 

7.  I  have  not  caused  my  name  to 
apoear  for  honors. 

8.  I  have  not  domineered  over  slaves. 
10.     I    have    not    defrauded    the    poor 

man  of  his  goods. 

13.  I  have  caused   no   man   to   suffer. 

14.  I  have  allowed  no  man  to  go 
hungry. 

15.  I   have  made   no   man   weeo. 

18.  I  have  not  filched  the  offerings 
in  the  temples. 

24.  I  have  not  cheated  in  the  measur 
ing-  of  grain. 

25.  I  have  not  filched  land,  or  adde<< 
thereto. 

2fi.  I  have  not  encroached  upon  the 
felds   of   others. 

29.  I  have  not  taken  away  the  milk 
from  the  mouths  of  babes. 

38.  I  have  not  repulsed  the  god  in 
his  manifestations.  I  am  pure.  I  am 
pure.     I   am   pure.     I   am    pure. 

According  to  the  belief  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, every  person  consisted  of  three 
parts:  a  mortal  corruptible  tody  called 
the  Cha;  a  living  soirit  called  the  Ba: 
and  a  protecting  spirit,  caTed  Ka.  At 
death  Ba  left  the  body  in  the  form  of 
a  bird,  but  the  Ka  dwelt  in  the  tomb 
with  the  body.  At  any  time,  it  could 
enter  the  body  and  reanimate  it.  Th° 
Ka,  however,  might  leave  the  tomb  at 
times.  The  living  spirit  was  to  return 
in  time  for  the  clean  and  pure  body. 
For  this  reason,  the  Egyptians  em- 
balmed the  body  as  no  other  people  in 
the   history   of  the  wor'd. 

"The  Book  of  the  Dead"  explains  all 
these  be'.iefs,  and  the  125th  chapter 
quoted  above,  is  the  most  celebrated  in 
giving  one  an  understanding  about 
the  gods,  and  the  ethical  principles 
of  the  Egyptians.  Osisris  is  the  judge 
of  the  dead.  He  has  a  heaven  for  his 
dwelling  place.  He  holds  councils  with 
his  other  gods,  and  not  only  rules  the 
Nile  valley,  but  other  lands  as  well. 
"Certain  of  the  gods  sat  as  a  court 
with  Osiris,  as  the  presiding  judge,  and 
judged  and  punished  those  men,  who 
in  the  flesh  acted  contrary  to  the  laws, 
laid  down  by  the  good  deities  as  to  the 

UNIVERSITY  OF  UTAH. 


proper  duties  of  religion  and  moralitj." 
"The  Book  of  the  Dead"  consists  of 
"a  long  series  of  spells,  and  incanta- 
tions, and  rhythmical  formulae,  which 
were  recited  by  the  priests  for  the 
benefit  of  the  dnad."  But  the  book, 
taken  as  a  whole,  shows  that  the  Egyp- 
tians had  conceptions  of  the  great  fun- 
damental laws  of  morality,  such  as 
truth,  just;ce,  etc.  Life  everlasting 
could  only  be  obtained  by  those  who 
had  lived  a  righteous  life  upon  the 
earth,  and  who  had  been  declared  to  be 
speakers  of  the  truth  in  the  hall  of 
Os'ris. 

There  are  four  ancient  editions  of  the 
"Book   of  the   Dead:" 

I.  The  first  edition  is  in  hieroglyph- 
ics, about  3,500  B.  C,  and  is  designat- 
ed by  scholars  the  Heliopolitan  ver- 
sion. Five  cooies  have  been  preserved 
upon  the  pyramid  tombs  of  the  Phara- 
ohs. 

II.  The  Theban  version,  of  about 
2,000  B.  C,  when  Thebes  was  the  cen- 
ter of  Egyptian  civilization.  This  was 
written   upon    papyri    in    hieroglyphs. 

III.  Another  version  similar  to  the 
Theban,  written  upon  papyri  in  hiero- 
glyphs and  in  the  hieratic,  or  where  the 
characters   are  joined   together. 

IV.  The  Saitic  version,  made  about 
the  year  600.  The  copies  are  wri+ten 
sometimes  in  hieroglyphs,  at  other 
times  in  the  hieratic  script. 

An  English  translation  of  the  book 
has  recently  appeared  by  Dr.  E. 
A.  Wallis  Budge,  keeper  of  the  Egypt- 
ian and  Assv  ian  antiquities  in  the 
British  museum.  It  has  also  been 
translated  by  German,  French  and 
Russian  scholars  into  their  respective 
languages.  One  can  find  a  very  good 
exnlanation  of  the  took  in  any  up-to- 
date  history  of  Egypt,  particularly  in 
Dr.  Isaac  Myer's  "Oldest  Books  in  the 
World."  The  G.  P.  Putnams  Sons  Co. 
has  recently  issued  a  beautiful  edition 
of  the  "Book  of  the  Dead,"  edited  in 
English  by  Charles  H.  S.  Davis.  Tho 
edition  is  well  illustrated  with  99  plates, 
reproduced  in  fac-simile  from  the  Tur- 
in papyrus  and  the  Louvre  papyrus. 


Liberty  of  the  Press 


BY  JAMES  H.  ANDERSON,  OF  THE  GENERAL  BOARD  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 


Ill 

The  first  two  newspapers  published  in  America  (at  Boston  in 
1689  and  1690)  were  suppressed  by  the  government  of  Massa- 
chusetts ;  in  the  copies  preserved  there  is  nothing  to  justify,  in  the 
mind  of  today,  the  governor's  assertion  that  they  "contained  reflec- 
tions of  a  very  high  nature ;"  their  contents  are  a  mere  record  of 
current  events.  The  third  newspaper  published  at  Boston,  the 
News-Letter,  continued  till  the  British  evacuated  the  city  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  The  Massachusetts  Spy,  now  the  oldest 
paper  in  Massachusetts,  had  to  move  from  Boston  during  the 
Revolution,  because  of  its  yeoman  service  for  independence ;  it 
was  the  newspaper  which  published  the  famous  cartoon  repre- 
senting Great  Britain  as  a  dragon  and  the  colonies  as  a  snake  in 
nine  pieces,  under  the  motto,  "Join  or  die."  In  Virginia  and  other 
colonies,  early  newspapers  failed  through  suppressory  methods. 
The  New  York  Weekly  Journal,  begun  in  1733,  became  memor- 
able for  the  prosecution  of  its  printer,  John  Peter  Zenger,  for 
sedition,  and  for  the  masterly  defense  of  the  accused  by  Andrew 
Hamilton.  "The  trial  of  Zenger,"  says  Gouverneur  Morris,  "was 
the  germ  of  American  freedom."  Under  the  United  States,  lib- 
erty of  the  press  always  has  been  maintained  by  governmental 
authority. 

It  may  be  stated  generally  that  the  efficacy  of  persecution  for 
the  reasonable  and  consistent  expression  of  free  thought  was  frus- 
trated by  the  power  of  the  press,  particularly  in  those  dignified 
newspapers  which  reached  the  masses  of  the  people  with  matters 
of  legitimate  public  news,  and  comments  from  vigorous  and 
thoughtful  minds  which  resisted  radicalism  and  oppressive  re- 
straint with  equal  energy,  courage  and  persistence. 

Censorship  had  been  either  restrictive  or  corrective ;  that  is, 
it  interfered  to  prevent  publication,  or  it  enforced  penalties  after 
publication.     Repression  of  free  discussion  was  regarded  as  so 


350  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

necessary  a  part  of  government  that  Sir  Thomas  More,  in  his 
Utopia,  makes  it  punishable  with  death  for  a  private  individual  to 
criticize  the  ruling"  power.  In  the  18th  century,  most  civilized 
governments  had  so  modified  this  view  that  punishments  for  libel ; 
police  restrictions  for  scandalous,  obscene  and  seditious  publica- 
tions ;  limiting  the  number  of  printers,  publishers  and  booksellers ; 
the  registration  of  books  and  papers  before  publication ;  requiring 
the  name  on  all  printed  matter ;  and  similar  regulations  presumed 
to  be  for  the  public  benefit,  comprised  the  rule  that  was  generally 
enforced.  "Give  me  liberty  to  know,  to  utter,  and  to  argue  freely 
according  to  conscience,  above  all  other  liberties,"  wrote  Milton, 
in  1643,  in  protest  against  an  ordinance  of  the  Star  Chamber.  In 
less  than  two  centuries  later  his  wish  had  become  virtually  the 
condition  in  all  the  foremost  civilized  nations. 

Present  Conditions. — In  the  United  States,  the  Constitution 
insures  liberty  of  the  press,  which  is  exercised  freely.  The  con- 
ditions in  other  countries  may  be  briefly  stated  thus : 

Austro-Hungary. — Strict  censorship  ceased  in  1867,  when  the  con- 
stitution guaranteed  liberty  of  the  press;  police  regulations,  however, 
are  very  strict,  especially  in  the  Italian  provinces. 

Belgium. — The  prosecution  of  political  writers  led  to  the  inde- 
pendence of  Belgium  in  1830,  and  the  constitution  of  that  year  pro- 
vides that  the  press  shall  be  free.  It  is  a  penal  offense,  however,  to 
incite  to  crime,  or  disobedience  to  law,  or  to  attack  the  constitutional 
authority  of  the  king  or  chambers. 

Brazil. — The  constitution  in  1824  provided  that  everyone  is  entitled 
to  express  his  thoughts  by  words  and  writing,  and  to  publish  them 
without  liability  to  censorship,  but  is  answerable  for  abuses  as  decreed 
by  law.  All  the  Latin-American  nations  have  practically  the  same  pro- 
visions. In  cases  of  national  danger,  however,  the  constitutions  may 
be  suspended. 

Denmark. — Censorship  was  abolished  in  1849,  and  the  press  de- 
clared free,  by  constitution. 

France. — Up  to  1866  newspapers  were  suppressed  by  proclamation. 
With  the  formation  of  the  republic  in  1870-71,  liberty  of  the  press  was 
established,  but  the  press  is  not  entirely  free,  as  the  term  is  under- 
stood in  the  United  States,  the  French  writers  being  so  vitriolic  at 
times  that  the  government  finds  it  has  need  of  many  stringent  regula- 
tions. 

Germany. — The  censorship  was  abolished  in  1871,  but  strict  police 
regulations  prevail.  A  German  newspaper  must  have  a  responsible 
editor,  to  answer  for  infringements  of  law.     So  often  are  these  editors 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS  351 

imprisoned  that  it  is  facetiously  remarked,  and  with  much  color  of 
fact,  that  a  person  who  accepts  the  post  of  responsible  editor  on  a 
German  newspaper  understands  that  he  will  have  to  remain  in  jail 
permanently  during  the  period  of  his  employment  in  that  capacity. 

Great  Britain. — Although  the  English  press  enjoyed  a  large  meas- 
ure of  liberty  for  three-quarters  of  a  century  previous  thereto,  it  was 
not  until  the  removal  of  the  optional  duty  on  newspapers,  in  1870,  that 
the  press  in  England,  Scotland  and  Wale?  -an  be  said  to  be  free.  In 
Ireland,  there  is  not  this  amount  of  libei  y,  since  the  lord  lieutenant 
may  order  the  seizure  of  any  newspaper  appearing  to  contain  matter 
inciting  to  treason,  violence  or  intimidation,  and  may  search  for  papers 
or  documents  suspected  of  being  used  or  intended  to  be  used  in  con 
nection  with  any  society  existing  for  criminal  purposes.  In  India  thr- 
governor-general  may  seize  or  exclude  newspapers,  books,  etc.,  which 
"contain  any  words,  signs,  or  visible  representations  likely  to  excite 
disaffection  to  the  government  established  by  law  in  British  India,  or 
between  any  persons  of  different  castes,  religions  or  sects  in  British 
India."  The  colonies  enjoy  liberty  of  the  press  similarly  with  Eng- 
land, Scotland  and  Wales. 

Greece. — Censorship  was  abolished  in  1844,  but  Greek  citizens 
only  can  be  publishers  of  newspapers. 

Holland. — Liberty  of  the  press  since  1815;  seditious  books  and 
newspapers  may  be  seized. 

Italy — Censorship  comparatively  severe.  There  are  few  book- 
sellers in  Italy. 

Mexico. — The  constitution  abolishes  press  censorship,  which  pre- 
vailed during  the  Spanish  dominion.  In  times  of  national  danger,  this 
and  other  constitutional  guarantees  may  be  suspended. 

Norway. — Liberty  of  the  press  since  1814,  with  punishment  for 
offenses  against  law,  religion  or  decency. 

Ottoman  Empire. — Liberty  of  the  press  subject  to  limitations  of 
law  since   1876,  the  limitations  being  comparatively  rigid. 

Portugal. — Limited  censorship  prevails,  the  latest  modifications, 
having  been  instituted  in  1911. 

Roumania. — Censorship  abolished  in  1866.  There  is  liberty  of  the 
press,  with  the  responsible  editor  system  almost  similar  to  that  of 
Germany. 

Russia. — Absolute  censorship  prevails,  both  restrictive  and  correc- 
tive. The  newspapers  of  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow  have  greater  lib- 
erty than  those  elsewhere,  but  even  there  the  restrictions  are  severe. 
There  are  government  censors  everywhere,  and  papers  from  foreign 
countries  are  under  very  strict  supervision.  On  these,  censorship  is 
mercilessly  exercised  by  blacking  out  or  cutting  out  such  articles  as 
the  government  censors  may  not  approve  or  understand.  The  tele- 
graphic press  agency  censorship  is  rigidly  applied.  Only  privileged 
persons,  such  as  members  of  the  royal  family,  foreign  diplomats,  and 
editors  of  newspapers  in  the  capital,  may  receive  foreign  publications 


352  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

free  of  censorship,  which  has  been  more  severe  since  the  Crimean  war 
than  for  a  long  time  previously. 

Spain. — In  1812  the  constitution  abolished  censorship  and  gave 
freedom  to  the  press,  subject  to  such  restrictions  of  the  law  that  even 
yet  few  booksellers  are  permitted. 

Sweden. — Liberty  of  the  press  granted  by  constitutional  provision 
in  1812. 

Switzerland. — Liberty  of  the  press  in  1848,  with  restrictive  legisla- 
tion for  offenses  against  the  public  welfare. 

Censorship  Not  Tolerable— -In  those  countries  where  liberty 
of  the  press  prevails,  neither  author  or  publisher,  nor  the  people 
generally,  will  tolerate  censorship  of  the  press,  because  such  cen- 
sorship would  be  an  invasion  of  the  freedom  of  thought  and  ex- 
pression so  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  a  free  people.  In  such 
countries,  occasional  efforts  at  censorship  have  been  made  by  over- 
bearing officials ;  but  all  reputable  publishers  affected  have  resisted 
the  intrusion.  Often  there  are  facts  within  the  knowledge  of 
newspapers  that  should  not  be  published,  because  the  injury  from 
publicity  clearly  outweighs  the  good  in  particular  instances.  In 
such  case,  decent  and  influential  newspapers  omit  the  injurious 
feature  upon  its  being  pointed  out,  or  upon  request  for  its  sup- 
pression. Every  attempt  at  official  censorship  by  officers  either 
writing  or  supervising  and  examining  articles  intended  for  pub- 
lication is  therefore  an  unnecessary  violation  of  the  liberty  of  the 
press,  and  the  publisher  who  submits  to  it  displays  an  inferior 
conception  of  his  right  and  duty.  An  obligation  which  attends 
the  enjoyment  of  liberty  of  the  press  is  that  the  author  and  pub- 
lisher do  their  work  in  a  clean,  decent  and  honorable  way,  with 
beneficial  aims  for  the  community  whose  interests  are  involved. 

Abuse  of  Liberty. — That  the  liberty  of  the  press  often  is 
abused  by  vicious  and  unprincipled  writers  and  publishers  is  pain- 
fully apparent  everywhere,  and  is  as  deeply  regretted  by  reputable 
members  of  the  press  as  by  anyone  else.  Indeed,  from  present 
conditions  in  the  United  States,  the  press  here  owes  to  itself  and 
the  nation  the  duty  of  more  co-operation  and  less  fault-finding, 
more  constructive  advice  and  less  destructive  criticism,  than  seems 
now  to  be  the  generally  prevailing  policy.  In  the  line  of  abuses 
complained  of,  many  persons  are  berated,  maligned  and  misrep- 
resented because  it  is  "in  the  game"- — that  is,  because  they  differ 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS  353 

in  opinion  with  those  who  assail  them ;  but  high-minded  publishers 
do  not  stoop  to  this  method  of  assault,  severe  though  they  find  it 
necessary  to  be  at  times;  they  prefer  to  discuss  differences  of 
opinion  on  principle,  and  to  avoid  false  accusation  or  aspersion. 
Vituperation  involves  false  accusation  and  undeserved  denuncia- 
tion, intended  to  inflict  unjustifiable  injury;  hence  the  legal  and 
moral  truism,  "Where  vituperation  begins  the  liberty  of  the  press 
ends,"  and  beyond  is  abuse  of  liberty.  But  all  abuses  are  not  on 
the  part  of  authors  and  publishers.  It  frequently  occurs  that 
persons  who  cannot  direct  a  newspaper  into  their  way  of  thinking 
charge  its  publishers  with  venality  merely  because  it  differs  with 
them  in  opinion  and  method.  In  such  case,  the  accusers  abuse  the 
liberty  of  the  press,  and  in  the  counter-attack  the  newspaper  is  a 
defender  of  that  liberty  which  belongs  to  the  press ;  therefore,  the 
legal  and  moral  truism,  "Where  vituperation  begins,  the  liberty  of 
the  individual  ends,"  and  beyond  is  an  infringement  of  the  liberty 
of  the  press.  The  publication  or  utterance  of  the  truth  with  good 
motive,  and  of  comment  which  does  not  infringe  the  right  of 
character,  mark  the  limit  of  reasonable  liberty  in  the  press  and  in 
the  individual. 

Effect  of  Liberty  of  the  Press. — The  history  of  the  growth  of 
liberty  of  the  press  to  its  present  reasonable  status  in  the  fore- 
most civilized  nations  is  permanently  interwoven  with  the  progress 
of  the  people  toward  that  desirable  human  freedom  assured  by  the 
principles  of  Divine  truth.  A  direct  effect  of  the  enjoyment  of 
liberty  of  the  press  has  been  to  educate  the  people  into  a  more 
thorough  comprehension  than  previously  existed  of  that  higher 
and  better  standard  of  upholding  the  right,  in  their  ordinary  rela- 
tionships with  each  other,  which  is  so  desirable  in  the  brotherhood 
of  man.  It  has  brought  the  people  to  a  keener  sense  of  responsi- 
bility, and  a  stronger  resolution  to  bear  nobly  that  responsibility, 
in  their  part  in  God's  great  universe,  than  otherwise  would  have 
been  possible.  As  a  human  agency  in  the  developing  progress  of 
earth  and  its  inhabitants,  the  liberty  of  the  press  has  been,  and  is. 
of  supreme  importance. 

(the  end) 


Voice  of  the  Intangible 


BY  ALBERT  R.   LYMAN 


Chapter  VII— On  Day-Herd 

The  J.  B.  Outfit  employed  a  variety  of  men.  They  always 
had  some  erratic  fellow  to  take  the  part  of  king's-fool,  worry  the 
boss  to  death,  or  otherwise  keep  the  camp  in  a  ferment.  This  ele- 
ment was  so  sure  to  be  there,  that  Ben  learned  to  look  for  it  as 
a  curiosity  worthy  of  notice.  He  was,  therefore,  not  at  all  sur- 
prised one  spring  when  the  two  outfits  "throwed  in  together"  at 
Fish  Creek,  to  find  among  the  J.  B.  hands  a  rider  called  Montana, 
to  whom  no  one  dared  to  say  very  much,  and  at  whom  no  one 
ventured  to  laugh,  unless  the  laugh  were  mutually  agreeable. 

This  Montana  towered  six  feet  two  inches  in  the  air ;  he  had 
broad  shoulders,  the  activity  of  a  cat,  and  a  silver-mounted,  forty- 
four  calibre  six-shooter  on  his  hip  all  the  time.  Mightier  still 
among  the  elements  which  made  his  presence  dreadful,  was  a 
cool,  gray  eye,  a  steady  nerve,  and  a  temper  which  needed  only  to 
sizzle  slightly,  to  convince  men  it  contained  glycerine  and  dyna- 
mite. 

Young  Rojer  recognized  him  at  once  as  the  particular  thing 
for  which  he  was  looking,  and  just  kept  on  looking  with  eyes  and 
mouth  wide  open.  With  one  gulping  stare  he  took  in  the  hand- 
some face,  the  prominent  nose,  the  yellow  mustache,  and  the 
shapeful,  graceful  form,  erect  in  the  saddle.  He  saw  the  fine  Cu- 
bine  boots,  the  beautiful  spurs,  the  glittering  buttons,  on  chaps 
and  bridle ;  he  surveyed  the  magnificent  brown  horse  from  head 
to  heels.  If  Montana  spoke  a  word,  Ben  knew  it,  though  he  may 
have  seen  nothing  else  around  that  bawling  herd. 

While  young  Rojer  gaped  with  fine  concentration  and  unre- 
fined manners,  a  narrow-hipped,  heavy-horned  Texan  bull  wor- 
ried the  outfit  into  a  rage  by  trying  to  force  a  passage  through  the 
corral  fence.  Several  of  the  boys  drove  him  away,  and  brought 
their  heavy  raw-hide  hondas  fiercely  down  on  his  supple  back,  but 


THE    EASTERN     BREAKS    OF    THE    CEDAR    RIDGE,    IN    THE    WILDS    OF 
COMB  WASH,  SAN  JUAN  COUNTY,  UTAH 

each  time  he  returned,  bellowing  and  pawing  the  dust  till  his 
spreading  horns  encountered  the  cottonwood  pannels. 

Ben  saw  all  this  performance  only  from  the  corner  of  his  eye, 
and  in  such  a  way  as  to  recall  it  when  Montana  whirled  his  brown 
horse  in  that  direction  with  the  remark:  "I  reckon  I'll  make  'im 
sick  of  thisyere  J.  B.  outfit." 

The  brown  horse  and  the  bull  went  hip  and  hip  up  the  flat 
on  the  keen  jump,  and  a  soggy  fold  of  lariat  swung  kerthump 
around  the  bulging  paunch  every  time  they  struck  the  ground. 
When  this  familiarity  had  almost  bred  contempt  in  the  bovine 
mind,  the  handsome  cow-puncher,  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
tell  it,  sprang  up  from  the  saddle,  and  came  down  astride  of  the 
bull.  He  alighted  just  in  front  of  the  narrow  hips,  and  settled  his 
long  spurs  in  the  animal's  flanks  to  hold  his  position. 

Surprised  and  indignant  at  this  unwarranted  liberty,  the 
heavy-breasted,  thin-flanked  ruminant  ran  even  faster,  and  the 
brown  horse  slowed  knowingly  down  to  a  stand-still.  Montana 
waved  his  hands  in  the  air,  and  with  his  heavy  hat  spanked  the 
horned  charger's  ribs,  all  the  time  singing,  "Hi  ya  ya,  hi  ya  ya," 
with  the  energy  of  a  fanatical  Pahute  in  a  war-dance. 

The  bull  described  a  half-circle,  cut  a  dusty  bee-line  back  to 
the  corral,  and  flew  around  it  three  times  like  a  chariot  race,  bel- 
lowing his  white-hot  rage,  and  making  a  terrible  scattering  of 


356  IMPROVEMENT.  ERA 

men  and  horses.  Montana  drove  his  heavy  rowels  against  the 
knotted  shoulder,  and  sent  the  hair  floating  away  from  a  path  to 
the  flank.  He  yelled,  "Wooh !  Whoopee !  Hi  yo !"  like  a  medicine- 
man receiving  extra  pay,  while  the  bull's  eyes  grew  beady,  and 
his  tail  writhed  like  a  snake  in  a  fight. 

The  mad  charger  made  for  the  hills  in  desperation,  but  a  hun- 
dred yards  up  the  flat,  he  began  to  plunge  and  whirl,  and  reach 
with  his  horns  for  the  man  glued  to  his  reeking  back.  Suddenly, 
like  scat,  Montana  was  on  the  ground  a-hold  of  the  broom-like 
tail.  The  nose  sniffed  keenly  after  him,  and  the  tail  pulled  him 
out  of  its  way.  They  circled  and  swung  and  cut  a  dashing  pigeon 
wing  to  the  right  and  the  left  in  the  alkali  dust  of  the  flat,  while 
the  J.  B.  outfit  sat  in  convulsions  on  the  fence,  or  fell  backward 
into  the  corral. 

Montana  had  not  lost  his  head  nor  his  breath,  in  all  this 
fandango,  but  knowing  the  first  measure  was  over,  and  knowing, 
too,  that  his  partner  was  a  beginner  without  knowledge  of  when 
to  quit,  he  twisted  that  broom-like  tail  till  the  bull  simply  shrieked 
with  agony,  bolted  up  the  flat,  over  the  hill  and  out  of  sight. 

As  the  Southerner,  for  he  seemed  to  be  from  the  south,  rode 
his  brown-back  to  the  corral,  he  nodded  towards  the  vanishing 
dust  on  the  hill  and  remarked,  "I  reckon  he  don't  love  me  no 
more." 

Next  day,  as  the  outfit  drove  down  the  Comb  Wash,  they 
found  that  identical  bull  standing  forlornly  alone  under  a  cotton- 
wood  tree.  His  flanks  were  swollen,  and  he  wore  an  outraged 
expression  as  the  fellows  came  in  sight,  and  after  watching  them 
studiously  and  contemptuously  a  short  half  minute,  he  threw  up 
his  head  and  broke  into  a  trot  for  the  herd.  The  Southerner  and 
his  brown  happened  to  be  on  that  side,  and  Foreman  Dick,  prob- 
ably to  see  some  fun,  called  out,  "Don't  let  'im  in." 

Montana  sprang  his  horse  in  the  bull's  way,  and  the  trot 
slowed  down  a  trifle,  but  the  horned  head  rose  higher,  and  the 
ears  stood  out  stiffly  trembling.  The  big  man  waited  till  the 
charge  upon  him  was  fully  begun,  when  by  a  quick  start,  he  led 
out  to  where  a  high  bank  hemmed  them  both  off  from  the  herd. 

This  little  stratagem,  however,  had  taken  no  account  of  a 
deep  wash,  up  to  the  edge  of  which  the  brown  horse  came  with 
the  bovine  sniffing  four  steps  behind.     All  hands  expected  the 


VOICE  OF  THE  INTANGIBLE  357 

silver-moimte'd  six-shooter  to  flash  from  its  scabbard.  A  tender- 
foot would  have  smoked  up  the  situation  in  good  shape,  but  the 
Southerner  and  his  brown  were  no  spring  chickens. 

When  they  saw  the  wash  yawning  before  them,  the  reins 
tightened,  and  the  glittering  spurs  came  into  play  behind  the  back 
cinch.  The  horse  understood  in  a  second.  Before  that  Texas 
bull  realized  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  he  had  run  into  a  batter- 
ing ram  of  hoofs  shod  with  steel,  and  one  of  his  horns  had  gone 
spinning  back  over  the  scrub-greasewood.  He  took  his  other  horn 
and  went,  doubly  disgusted,  to  the  hills ;  and  the  handsome  cow- 
puncher  mused  to  himself,  "Huh !  he  didn't  seem  to  have  no 
respect  for  my  feelin's  at  all." 

This  blonde  horseman  cared  nothing  for  praise  or  compli- 
ments, and  no  one  made  bold  to  offer  them.  He  apparently  courted 
adventure,  as  a  relief  from  the  stiff  dignity  and  reserve  that  held 
him  coldly  aloof  from  every  man  in  the  outfit;  and  the  adventure 
once  found,  he  embraced  it  with  utter  abandon.  He  seemed  to 
recognize  danger  by  defying  its  possibilities,  for  when  the  herd 
reached  Rincone,  and  a  calf  fell  into  the  boiling  spring  current  of 
the  San  Juan,  he  spoke,  as  if  to  no  one,  "I  reckon  me  an'  ol' 
Deut  kin  navigate  these  yere  waters,"  and  spurred  his  brown 
horse  over  the  bank  into  the  rapids. 

The  way  he  came  out  with  the  calf  in  safety,  and  utterly  re- 
gardless of  the  ducking  or  the  danger,  was  more  of  a  mystery 
than  the  fracas  with  the  Texas  bull.  The  outfit  looked  on  in 
silence,  and  Josh  Widder  looked  on  in  green-eyed  silence. 

It  was  decided  to  herd  the  bunch  ten  days  on  the  sand-hills 
at  Rincone,  and  Montana  and  Ben  and  the  dog  fell  heirs  to  the 
task.    They  would  camp  there  alone  during  that  time. 

Before  the  outfit  left,  Fred  Rojer  called  his  son  off  to  one 
side.  "I  notice  you're  quite  taken  up  with  that  fellow,"  he  began, 
"but  you  better  be  mighty  careful  how  you  drink  into  his  ways ;  he 
came  here  on  the  run,  and  he  may  leave  the  same  way.  I  don't 
like  the  idea  of  leaving  you  here  with  him  so  long,  and  it's  only 
because  I  have  confidence  in  your  knowledge  of  right  and  wrong, 
and  your  courage  to  resist  evil,  that  I  do  it  at  all.  Now  remember, 
son,  this  is  the  first  time  I've  left  you  in  such  company— don't  do 
anything  to  disappoint  me." 

Braced  up  with  his  father's  confidence,  and  firmly  resolved 


358  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

to  honor  it  as  a  sacred  trust,  young  Rojer  rode  away  to  the  graz- 
ing herd  and  the  company  of  the  handsome,  dignified  cow- 
puncher. 

They  said  little  the  first  day.  They  stayed  one  on  each  side 
of  the  herd,  and  the  boy  talked  to  his  dog  as  if  they  two  were 
alone.  At  night  by  the  fire  the  barrier  melted  somewhat.  "I 
reckon  your  pap's  mighty  anxious  to  train  you  up  about  right," 
ventured  the  Southerner,  settling  his  gray  eyes  on  the  boy,  "I 
sort-o  like  yer  pap.    I  believe  he's  a  good  man." 

Young  Rojer  made  short,  modest  answers,  but  the  tall  blonde 
seemed  eager  to  strike  up  an  acquaintance.  He  certainly  had 
spoken  with  no  such  ease  to  the  J.  B.  outfit  as  he  now  spoke  to 
Ben.  In  fact,  he  stared  with  those  strange,  gray  eyes,  and  cast  off 
his  stiff  mantle  of  dignity  to  ask  plain,  boyish  questions,  which 
made  young  Rojer  feel  like  a  small  colt  opening  and  shutting  his 
mouth  under  the  nosing  caress  of  an  old  saddle-horse.  The 
Southerner  appeared  to  refresh  himself  on  Ben's  innocence  and 
ignorance ;  to  gaze  into  the  simple,  guileless  depths  of  the  boyish 
heart,  as  if  hungering  for  some  element  of  peace  it  contained.  He 
forgot  his  stern  bearing  and  the  rigid  concern  it  must  have  im- 
posed, just  as  a  man  forgets  the  heat  of  the  sand-hills,  when  he 
sprawls  in  the  shade  of  a  cottonwood.  At  all  events,  he  thawed 
out  considerably  as  he  looked  across  that  camp-fire  at  the  brown- 
eyed  boy.  "I  reckon  you've  never  been  out  of  San  Juan  county?" 
he  queried. 

"Not  very  far,"  Ben  answered. 

"And  you've  growed  up  away  out  yere,  and  follered  yer  pap 
over  these  yere  wild  hills ;  I  reckon  ye  never  drink  whiskey  er  play 
cards?" 

"I've  never  been  in  a  saloon." 

"That's  what  I  thot,"  and  the  gray  eyes  stared  at  the  fire. 

The  two  rested  more  often  on  one  side  of  the  herd  after 
that,  and  Montana  became  so  very  free  that  Ben  caught  the  con- 
tagion and  told  some  things  he  wished  he  might  recall. 

"Yes,  kid,"  the  Southerner  went  on,  "I  was  sort  o'  attracted 
to  ye  when  I  first  saw  ye  up  to  Fish  Creek."  In  the  same  vein, 
later  in  the  day,  he  added:  "Kid,  I  don't  tell  many  men  what  I 
think,  but  I  will  tell  you  this,  an'  I  know  yer  pap  won't  object  to  it, 
nuther :   Don't,  never  kill  a  man — don't  think  of  it." 


VOICE  OF  THE  INTANGIBLE  359 

Rather  strange  advice  to  give  a  bo> — at  least  Ben  thought  so, 
but  the  words  had  a  genuine  ring  of  authority,  and  he  lumped 
them  carelessly  in  with  other  strange  habits  of  this  strange  man. 

From  the  first  evening  when  the  two  sat  down  as  strangers 
by  the  fire,  young  Rojer  fancied  those  gray  eyes  were  not  the 
same  in  the  fire-light  as  in  the  sunlight.  After  the  third  day,  when 
supper  was  over,  and  a  still,  dark  night  had  settled  on  their  cam]), 
when  the  herd  had  lain  down  in  its  box-canyon  corral,  and  the 
silent  whispers  of  the  Intangible  floated  in  from  all  around,  the 
Southerner  stared  mutely  at  the  yellow  coals.  With  the  fixed 
and  glassy  gaze  of  a  spirit,  he  stared  on,  and  on,  till  Ben  decided 
to  signal  the  dog  and  sneak  quietly  away  among  the  trees. 

"I'm  mighty  glad  they  left  ye  here,  kid,"  the  big  man  broke 
forth,  barely  in  time  to  keep  the  boy  in  his  place.  "I  wouldn't  be 
yere  alone  fer  the  whole  blamed  herd." 

Still  his  gray  eyes  dwelt  feverishly  upon  the  fading  flame. 
Was  it  a  joke?  Could  this  brave  man  really  have  fear  of  the 
peaceful  night?  No  difference — his  face  had  lost  every  handsome 
line,  and  a  wild,  brutal  spirit  seemed  to  cringe  and  cower  be- 
hind it. 

"Then  ye  see,  kid,"  he  continued,  after  several  flesh-creeping 
minutes,  "I  couldn't  talk  to  them;  they're  impudent,  but  yer  pap's 
trained  you." 

Those  eyes,  still  riveted  to  the  dying  embers,  appeared  in  the 
dim,  ghostly  light  to  be  starting  from  their  very  sockets.  Afraid 
to  run,  young  Rojer  hugged  old  Bowse  and  trembled. 

"Yes,  kid,"  and  the  unearthly  element  had  surely  found  its 
way  into  Montana's  voice  this  time,  "I  see  things  in  the  dark," 
he  gasped,  "the  same  bloody,  powder-burnt  face.  Oh!" — and  two 
terrible  words  half  chilled  the  blood  in  Ben's  veins. 

Before  something  worse  might  happen,  young  Rojer  found 
his  way,  boots  and  all,  to  his  blankets,  and  located  the  dear  old 
wag-tail  close  against  the  pillow.  Then  from  the  covers  he  peeped 
timidly  at  the  figure  crouched  over  the  smoldering  fire. 

That  figure  crouched  there  like  a  petrified  thing,  till  the  last 
faint  glimmer  of  light  died  out.  Then,  half  falling  backward,  as 
from  an  impending  blow,  he  threw  both  hands  in  the  air :  "Tom 
West!     Oh!" — he  groaned  in  a  perfect  frenzy. 

If  Ben  had  not  been  able  to  stroke  the  shaggy  head,  and  hear 


360  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

the  responsive  thumping  of  the  shaggy  tail  on  the  ground,  at  this 
moment,  it  is  likely  he  would  have  gone  headlong  for  the  willows. 

When  the  Southerner  went  to  bed,  after  a  long,  long  time, 
and  lay  there  muttering  to  himself,  the  sleepless  brown  eyes  still 
watched — watched  through  the  quiet  midnight,  watched  till  the 
gray  dawn.  There  was  no  more  sweet  voice  of  the  Intangible 
that  night.  The  darkness  smacked  of  terror,  and  that  black  roll 
of  bedding  that  groaned,  and  started,  and  writhed,  seemed  the  soul 
of  everything  dreadful  to  the  human  mind. 

With  early  light  Montana  arose,  the  same  handsome,  stal- 
wart man  that  sang  to  the  Texas  bull,  and  "navigated  the  waters" 
of  the  San  Juan — the  same  man  but  for  a  blush  of  humiliation 
which  arose  whenever  the  gray  eyes  met  Ben's  look.  Even  before 
breakfast,  that  humiliation  framed  itself  into  words :  "What  was 
I  a-talkin'  to  you  about  last  night  ?  I  reckon  I  was  sort  o'  nervous 
and  half  asleep,"  and  the  blush  grew  deeper.  "I  get  that-a-way 
sometimes,  but  ye  mustn't  take  no  notice  of  it." 

He  had  not  yet  said  enough  to  allay  his  annoyance,  and  the 
fact  that  his  great,  brave  self  should  be  disturbed  by  a  callow 
boy,  seemed  to  annoy  him  all  the  more.  "Say,  kid,"  he  ventured 
again,  when  the  herd  began  to  graze,  "Did  I  mention  any  names 
last  night  ?" 

His  yellow  mustache  loomed  up  dark  against  his  colorless 
face  when  he  heard  the  name,  Tom  West. 

"What  did  I  say  about  'im?"  he  finally  found  breath  to  ask. 

"Oh,  you  just  mentioned  the  name,"  and  Ben  succeeded  in 
giving  the  matter  the  smallest  importance. 

"Ye  see,  kid,"  breathed  the  Southerner,  much  relieved,  "I 
sort  o'  go  to  sleep  an'  have  nightmare  before  I  reach  the  bed,  if 
I'm  very  tired.  I  was  awful  tired  last  night.  What  a  man  says 
in  'is  sleep  ain't  nothin' — ye  mustn't  take  no  notice  of  it."  Then, 
after  a  pause,  he  added :  "But  say,  kid,  ye  won't  never  mention 
that  name,  will  ye?"  He  accepted  young  Rojer's  assurance  that 
the  name  would  not  be  mentioned,  and  dropped  the  lingering 
traces  of  night  to  assume  the  handsome  face  he  wore  in  the  day- 
time. 

As  to  Ben,  he  did  take  notice,  a  great  deal  of  notice,  of  that 
"nightmare,"  and  another  edition  of  it  which  came  out  two  nights 


VOICE  OF  THE  INTANGIBLE  361 

later  on ;  but  he  ceased  to  be  afraid.  He  simply  listened  and  drew 
a  firm  conclusion,  though,  for  the  sake  of  his  promise,  he  kept  the 
conclusion  to  himself. 

Montana  told  nothing  of  his  personal  history  to  Ben;  the 
most  he  said  about  it  was  in  answer  to  a  question  about  old  Deut : 
"Yip,  Deut's  a  trump  of  a  haws,"  he  agreed,  "he  was  my  pick  of 
fifty.  He  don't  keer  how  much  ye  shoot  from  on  'is  back,  but  if 
a  fella  shoots  towards  'im  from  behind,  he  shore  gets  rapid." 

Whether  that  meant  that  Deut  was  stolen  from  a  band  of 
fifty,  and  had  carried  Montana  away  from  a  posse  of  firing  offi- 
cers, was  not  exactly  clear,  and  no  question  was  asked  to  make  it 
clear. 

One  day,  as  they  rested  on  a  sandhill,  with  the  herd  grazing 
below  them,  Jimmy  came  out  of  the  willows  by  the  river,  and 
climbed  to  where  they  sat.  He  greeted  the  boy  with  word  and 
hand-shake,  but  pretended  not  to  see  the  man. 

"Now,  wouldn't  I  like  to  have  a  ruffle  on  my  shirt-tail  same 
as  that,"  remarked  the  Southerner,  sarcastically ;  for  Jimmy,  like 
the  better  class  of  Navajos,  had  his  black  shirt  hanging  outside 
of  his  trousers,  and  a  neat  ruffle  running  all  the  way  around  the 
hem. 

The  uskee  could  not  tell  just  what  had  been  said,  but  the 
tone  of  ridicule  came  plain  to  his  ears,  and  the  dark  eyes  betrayed 
his  resentment.  "Why  are  you  with  this  man?"  he  demanded. 
"He  is  vile!  My  mother  and  my  sisters  will  not  pass  this  way 
when  he  is  here.  Chinde!  Chinde!  Clisz!  Cady!"  he  hissed 
with  emphasis,  meaning,  "Devil !  Snake-spirit !" — the  most  ven- 
omous term  a  Navajo  may  employ. 

He  probably  had  patience  to  say  no  more,  for  with  that  he 
stalked  back  down  the  hill,  into  the  willows,  and  came  no  more 
during  the  ten  days. 

(to  be  continued) 


Vocation 

BY    JOSEPH    QUINNEY,    JR. 


1  desire  to  use,  as  an  introduction  to  this  article  on  Vocation, 
the  Man  you  Can't  Defeat,  by  Herbert  Kaufman: 

"He  isn't  afraid  of  Failure,  and  so  after  awhile  Failure  becomes 
afraid  of  him.  When  all's  said  and  done,  Failure  is  like  every  other 
bully,  and  turns  tail  at  the  first  hint  of  whole-hearted,  fearless  defense. 

"What  if  he  does  stumble — granted  that  he  goes  down  in  defeat 
t'me  and  time  again — just  watch  him  fumbling,  crawling,  husbanding 
his  strength  bit  by  bit,  gripping  fast  with  his  last  shred  of  grit,  and 
his  last  flash  of  wit — never  despairing — watching  and  waiting  until  he 
sees  the  chance  and  then,  zip!  before  you  realize  it,  he  is  on  his  feet 
again  and  up  against  the  wall  ready  to  take  on  any  comer. 

"He  keeps  learning  what  not  to  do  until  he  has  narrowed  down  the 
field  of  mistakes  and  errors  and  by  the  sheer  experience  of  elimination 
he  knows  at  last  the  few  sane,  safe  principle-  of  success. 

"The  size  of  a  task  never  appals  him — his  courage  is  great  enough 
to  lift  him  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  any  emprise  to  which  he  aspires; 
his  resolution  is  the  most  terrific  ram  that  ever  battered  the  walls  of 
circumstance. 

"Errors  of  judgment  and  his  over-zeal  repeatedly  hurl  him  to  earth. 
But  while  he  lies  on  his  back  he  doesn't  waste  time  wailing  because  of 
his  failing;  he  doesn't  rehash  the  past  and  moan  and  groan  over  what 
is  gone  and  what  can't  be  helped;  he  takes  count  of  his  assets  and 
figures  out  how  he  can  return  to  the  game. 

"He  doesn't  mind  the  broken  bones — they'll  knit;  or  the  bruises — 
they'll  heal;  or  the  sprains — time  will  take  care  of  all  of  them.  So  long 
as  his  spirit  isn't  fractured  and  his  determination  isn't  splintered,  he's 
not  shattered,  but  only  battered. 

"The  mere  loss  of  goods  is  just  a  loss  of  time;  if  he  hasn't  lost  his 
manhood  and  his  memory,  he  can  duplicate  whatever  he  possessed  and 
re-attain  whatever  he  dropped. 

"You  can  'break'  him,  but  you  can't  break  his  backbone.  You  can 
bind  his  activities,  but  you  can't  tie  down  his  spirit.  You  can  handicap 
him,  but  so  long  as  he  doesn't  handicap  himself,  he'll  win  out  against 
you  as  surely  as  day  must  follow  night. 

"He  puts  his  own  judgment  in  the  scales  and  the  prejudices  of  the 
whole  universe  won't  outweigh  it;  while  there's  breath  in  his  body, 
and  hope  in  his  breast,  and  nerve  in  his  meat,  he's  ready  and  eager  to 
pit  his  ambitions  against  all  humanity. 

"Don't  waste  the  time  to  laugh  at  him,  to  shrug  at  him  or  strike 
at  him;  the  joke  is  bound  to  be  on  you  in  the  end.  He's  padded  all 
over  with  self-assurance.  A  sneer  can't  get  through  his  vitals.  Dis- 
belief and  incredulity  rattle  against  his  sheath  of  confidence  like  dry 
peas  upon  a  stone  wall. 

"Whenever  you  try  to  hold  him  back  you  simply  turn  him  into  a 
bow — you  bend  him  into  greater  power,  and  when  you  let  go  you 
have  loaned  him  the  strength  to  hurl  his  shaft  of  determination  twice 
as  far. 


VOCATION  363 

"He's  a  human  spring — the  greater  the  pressure  you  put  upon  him, 
the  further  he'll  rebound. 

"Opposition  is  his  whetstone;  it  simply  puts  a  deeper  edge  upon 
his  keenness. 

"Every  unfair  dig  but  sends  him  leaping  ahead.  It  rouses  his 
lazing,  lurking  amperes  and  kilowatts  of  force — it  calls  upon  his  re- 
serve of  energy  and  sets  it  surging  and  singing  through  his  being, 
doubling  his  horse  power,  intensifying  his  voltage,  until  he  breaks 
every  band  and  bond  of  opposition. 

"Don't  measure  him  by  his  years,  courage  never  rusts  with  time. 

"He'll  break  new  ground  for  himself  up  to  the  hour  that  you  break 
ground  for  him. 

"You  can't  tell  how  he'll  finish,  until  his  finish." 

The  growth  of  any  community  depends  largely  upon  its  citi- 
zenship, consequently,  to  bring  into  our  lives  the  very  things  that 
are  most  high  and  good  there  must  be  provided  good,  wholesome 
employment  for  the  citizens  of  that  community.  Where  the  en- 
vironment is  of  a  high  order  the  moral  condition  is  one  of  inspira- 
tion, and  people  who  are  surrounded  with  high  and  lofty  thoughts 
are  in  a  position  to  contribute  to  the  uplift  of  the  race.  There  is 
nothing  in  life  that  is  so  beautiful,  wholesome  and  soul-inspiring 
as  to  give  and  love.  There  are  thousands  of  our  people  who  are 
reaching  out  for  something;  they  know  not  just  what  it  is,  but 
when  they  get  it,  there  is  a  satisfaction  that  convinces  them  that 
they  have  received  it.  The  very  things  we  are  wanting  more  of 
in  our  Church,  in  our  communities  and  in  our  homes,  is  giving 
the  very  best  we  have,  and  in  this  contribution,  love  and  good 
must  be  the  result.  Quotations  come  and  are  given  to  us  from 
various  individuals  that  are  full  of  suggestive  ideas,  and  we  are 
moved  in  our  actions,  in  our  thoughts,  and  in  our  deeds  by  reason 
of  these  suggestions,  sometimes  our  very  lives  are  changed,  and 
as  a  result  we  find  ourselves  giving  better  service,  thinking  better 
thoughts,  and  speaking  better  words  than  ever  before.  It  is  a 
development  that  expands,  and  grows,  and  brings  into  our  lives 
splendid  personalities,  and  when  we  make  development  by  reason 
of  high  thoughts  and  suggestions  coming  to  us,  our  capacity  to 
give  is  so  much  greater  that  we  find  ourselves  very  frequently 
in  the  position  of  contributing  voluntarily  to  the  uplift  of  those 
who  surround  us.  The  way  to  retain  a  thought  is  to  re- 
peat that  thought.  The  way  to  receive  good  service  is  to  give 
good  service.  The  way  to  confer  affection  is  to  be  in  a  condition 
to  receive  affection,  and  the  position  I  wish  to  take  and  the 
thought  I  wish  to  leave  is  this :  That  there  is  no  individual  who 
can  direct  unless  he  himself  can  be  directed ;  he  cannot  give  unless 
he  can  receive ;  he  cannot  inspire  unless  he  can  receive  inspira- 
tion. Many  people  who  have  held  responsible  positions  in  large 
institutions  have  failed  completely  because  they  could  not  inspire 


364  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

those  over  whom  they  had  control,  and  upon  investigation  the 
reason  would  invariably  be,  that  these  individuals  never  placed 
themselves  in  an  attitude  to  receive  inspiration.  They  had  closed 
their  lives  to  the  suggestions  that  would  have  filled  them  with 
inspiration ;  permitted  themselves  to  become  selfish,  and  grow  up 
in  a  little  world  all  their  own.  Where  there  is  nothing,  you  can 
give  nothing,  and  the  individual  who  closes  his  life  to  suggestion 
never  can  inspire  others ;  a  retrogression  sets  in  and  development 
ceases ;  he  becomes  a  thing,  not  a  man.  The  successful  man  in- 
spires ;  those  about  him  become  animated  and  influenced  by  his 
presence ;  they  develop  and  grow  strong.  Why  is  he  successful  ? 
It  is  because  he  has  opened  the  windows  of  his  soul  and  permitted 
the  sunshine,  the  flowers,  the  mountains,  the  trees  and  all  of  God's 
universe  to  enter  and  make  him  grow  and  love,  and  above  all,  he 
has  permitted  other  people  to  come  into  his  life  and  unfold  to  him 
their  appreciation  and  thankfulness.  He  has  received  inspiration, 
and  there  are  people  who  wonder  why  he  carries  with  him  such 
an  influence.  Characters  are  great  only  in  so  far  as  they  are  able 
to  receive,  and  not  what  they  give.  The  greatest  of  all  characters, 
Jesus  the  Christ,  bowed  in  humble  obedience  to  God  his  Father, 
and  said,  "Not  my  will  but  thine  be  done." 

Leaders  of  men  are  submissive,  kind  and  considerate  as  a 
general  rule,  and  because  they  are  able  to  direct,  instruct  and  lead, 
is  because  they  have  been  directed,  instructed  and  led.  Many  there 
are  who  start  out  and  fail  before  they  have  gone  far.  Why  is 
this?  There  is  some  reason.  There  must  be  a  cause,  and  if  an 
investigation  is  made  the  cause  is  with  the  individual  himself. 
You  will  always  find  with  a  failure  in  life  a  strong  grain  of  sel- 
fishness, a  lack  of  inclination  to  serve  and  to  give,  a  strong  ten- 
dency to  speak  disrespectfully  about  those  who  would  be  glad  to 
assist  him.  A  failure  of  this  nature  is  always  surrounded  with 
doubt,  and  the  feeling  grows  until  it  has  developed  the  thought 
that  everybody  is  wrong  but  the  individual  himself.  The  individual 
who  is  all  the  time  counting  his  lost  opportunities  is  unhappy; 
those  about  him  partake  more  or  less  of  the  same  feeling,  and 
this  is  one  reason  that  they  are  not  successful  in  life.  Vocation 
is  a  wonderful  asset  in  the  develpoment  of  the  young,  but  there 
are  so  many  that  think  they  can't  do  a  thing,  and  the  result  is, 
they  never  grow,  they  never  do,  and  they  never  become.  They 
only  aim  to  get  enough  to  live  on.  There  is  nothing  that  impedes 
the  progress  of  our  young  people  so  much  as  the  failure  to  select 
a  vocation  for  life.  Circumstances  should  not  enter  into  a  man's 
progress  or  development.  He  may  be  surrounded  with  poverty 
and  bowed  down  with  sorrow  and  grief,  yet  he  can  grow  and  be- 
come something  if  he  only  thinks  so.  With  our  environment,  the 
splendid  literature,  schools  and  splendid  agricultural  advantages, 


VOCATION  365 

there  is  no  excuse  for  any  young  man  not  becoming  what  he 
wants  to  become.  His  only  drawback  is  when  he  thinks  he  can't, 
when  he  should  be  thinking  that  he  can.  He  must  think  so,  and 
in  thinking  so  he  will  become.  There  are  so  many  who  think 
they  would  like  to  become  good  farmers,  mechanics,  literary  men, 
college  professors  and  the  like,  and  they  go  into  each  of  these  vo- 
cations with  considerable  energy  and  will  power.  In  the  course 
of  their  progress  and  development  they  observe  some  one  else 
following  another  line  of  work  and  making  good  at  it.  Their 
attention  is  taken  from  their  own  vocation,  and  they  act  upon  the 
suggestion  of  the  success  of  the  other  man  and  quit  their  own 
vocation  and  spend  their  energy  in  following  up  the  other  man's 
vocation,  and  as  a  result  they  have  mastered  no  one  particular 
thing.  Stick-to-it-iveness  is  the  word.  Stay  with  one  thing  until  it 
has  been  mastered,  and  then  if  you  have  the  capacity,  master  other 
things,  always  holding  firm  and  fast  this  splendid  thought :  "Give 
the  very  best  service  you  have." 

When  William  Morris  came  into  the  world,  very  little  was 
known  about  modern  household  furnishing,  etc.  This  man's 
soul  was  subject  to  all  the  beautiful  things  that  came  in  his  path- 
way. When  he  completed  an  eighth  grade  education  he  entered 
Oxford;  when  he  was  still  in  his  youth  he  met  a  young  man  by 
the  name  of  Edward  Burne  Jones,  and  these  two  grew  strong 
together.  They  read  to  each  other  from  good  books ;  they  dis- 
cussed only  the  beautiful  things,  and  each  received  from  the  other 
so  much  inspiration  that  they  simply  grew  and  became  strong 
and  mighty  men.  It  is  said  of  William  Morris  that  he  was  the 
strongest  all  around  man  the  country  ever  produced.  He  could 
do  more  things  and  do  them  well  than  any  man  of  either  ancient 
or  modern  times.  He  was  a  poet,  an  artist,  a  weaver,  a  black- 
smith, a  woodcarver,  a  painter,  and  a  musician  of  no  mean 
ability.  He  mastered  all  of  these  things  because  he  accomplished 
one  thing  at  a  time.  He  just  thought  so,  and  kept  on  thinking  so, 
and  took  from  one  vocation  the  inspiration  he  had  received,  put 
it  into  the  next  vocation  and  was  continually  contributing  to  the 
uplift  of  those  about  him.  Never  did  he  permit  himself  to  speak- 
disrespectfully  about  any  one.  His  life  was  full  of  sunshine  and 
happiness  to  all.  Yes ;  decide  on  some  vocation,  and  then  gather 
together  your  self  respect,  push  out,  and  make  good.  Too  many 
of  us  become  dissatisfied  with  the  people  who  are  employing  us, 
and  instead  of  giving  them  the  very  best  we  have,  we  are  concoct- 
ing some  method  or  scheme  to  take  advantage  of  them,  and  as  a 
result  of  this  they  are  naturally  looking  about  for  someone  to  fill 
our  places,  and  when  our  places  are  filled  and  we  are  out  of  em- 
ployment, we  are  loud  in  our  condemnation  and  use  almost  every 
means  of  insult  and  abuse  because  a  business  method  has  been 


366  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

applied,  and  we  wonder  why  we  do  not  progress,  and  are  always 
in  the  attitude  of  fault-finding,  and  our  work  becomes  a  drudgery 
instead  of  a  pleasure.  A  man  never  gains  in  influence  who  speaks, 
acts  or  appears  disrespectfully  to  those  who  are  providing  for  him 
a  livelihood.  There  is  a  saying:  "This  thing  of  trying  to  get  even 
is  what  keeps  so  much  misery  in  the  world,  and  makes  demons 
out  of  otherwise  splendid  men."  Carlyle  also  said :  "Get  your 
happiness  out  of  your  work  or  you  will  never  know  what  happiness 
is."  Happiness  comes  in  liking  a  thing,  and  when  we  like  a  thing 
we  are  going  to  give  the  very  best  thought  and  the  very  best  ser- 
vice we  have. 

There  is  no  institution  but  what  will  recognize  good,  honest 
service.  Men  promote  themselves,  the  institution  does  not  pro- 
mote them,  and  in  this  case  opportunity  is  always  present,  and  the 
man  who  takes  advantage  of  it,  does  so  because  he  knows  how. 
He  has  the  ability,  he  has  the  courage  to  push  out  and  take  the 
chance.  Responsibilities  gravitate  to  him  because  he  can  take 
care  of  them,  and  responsibilities  go  to  no  other  kind  of  indi- 
viduals. 

LOGAN,    UTAH 


Department  of  Vocations  and  Industries 


BY  B.    H.   ROBERTS 


VI — Courage  to  Take  a  Chance. 

One  of  the  essentials  in  all  departments  of  life  is  courage.  This  is 
no  less  true  in  the  matter  of  choosing  a  vocation  than  in  following 
one.  Indeed  much  depends  upon  the  strength  of  the  courage  with 
which  one  starts  in  his  vocation.  "Jack"  should  be  taught  to  dare 
much  in  choosing  his  life's  work.  That  is,  while  putting  no  false 
values  upon  his  ability,  he  should  be  encouraged  to  rate  himself  at 
the  height  of  his  reasonable  possibilities,  and  choose  his  vocation  ac- 
cordingly. And  not  only  choose  his  vocation  accordingly,  but  deter- 
mine what  shall  be  his  station  in  that  vocation — novice  or  finished 
workman;  master  of  his  trade,  profession,  line  of  business,  calling, 
art;  or  only  a  middling  workman,  unskilful,  untrusted  and  not  honored 
in  his  industrial  life.  Without  controversy  "Jack"  should  be  taught  to 
look  high  for  his  vocation,  as  high  as  talents  and  character  warrant 
him  in  looking.  Having  chosen  he  should  now  be  taught  to  look  to 
the  very  summit  of  possibilities  within  his  vocation,  with  the  view  of 
attaining  it.     It  is  no  inordinate  ambition  to  seek  and  attain  excellence 


DEPARTMENT  OF  VOCATIONS  AND  INDUSTRIES      367 

in  workmanship,  skill  in  a  profession,  proficiency  in  one's  art,  effec^ 
tiveness  in  a  business  calling.  Ambition  in  these  directions  means 
only  the  making  of  one  capable  of  better  and  of  more  service  in  his 
particular  line  of  endeavor.  Ambition  becomes  inordinate  only  when 
it  becomes  mischievous  to  others;  when  it  would  prompt  its  possessor 
to  rise  at  the  expense  of  others;  when  it  regards  not  the  rights  of 
others. 

Well,  not  to  wander  too  far  afield,  all  this — choosing  the  highest 
thing  in  the  way  of  a  vocation  that  his  talents  warrant  him  in  select- 
ing; and  then  following  that  vocation  with  a  view  of  attaining  to  the 
highest  possible  development  in  it — that  requires  courage,  daring. 

Much  is  said  in  these  modern  days  of  giving  a  boy  a  chance;  we 
had  better  inspire  him  with  the  courage  that  will  prompt  him  to  take 
one.  As  Herbert  Kaufman  recently  said,  in  a  popular  publication, 
"The  best  way  to  get  a  chance  is  to  take  one."    Then  he  continues: 

"Sure  things  are  poor  things.  When  you  strike  a  certainty,  you 
strike  limitations.  The  making  of  profit  almost  always  means  the 
taking  of  risk. 

"Currents  are  seldom  found  close  to  shore.  If  you  mean  to  swim 
far,  you  must  dive  into  the  depths,  and  strike  out  boldly  for  the  chan- 
nel. The  weakling  who  won't  wade  beyond  his  ankles  simply  gets 
cold  feet. 

"There  are  times  when  it  may  seem  wise  to  back  away  from  the 
risk  ahead,  but  be  sure  that  it  isn't  cowardice  which  backs  you  into  a 
greater  danger  behind. 

"Conservatism  ceases  to  be  a  virtue  when  it  stifles  enthusiasm. 
Caution,  like  the  tail  of  a  kite,  is  valuable  only  so  long  as  it  steadies, 
but  when  there's  too  much  of  it,  like  too  heavy  a  tail,  it  will  hold  you 
down. 

"Energy  and  imagination  are  both  meant  for  use;  inaction  rusts 
the  vitality  out  of  ability."' 

Let  our  association  committee-men,  in  this  department,  inspire 
our  youth  with  the  courage  that  will  not  merely  ask  for  a  "chance," 
but  will  start  out  bravely  and  find  one,  and  take  it  when  found.  Cour- 
age is  one  of  the  cabalistic  pass-words  to  success. 


AT   THE  FAIR 


A  Day  in  the  English  Lakeland 


BY  HERMON  J.   WELLS 


English  weather  is  a  great  blessing.  Being  synonymous 
with  uncertainty,  it  affords  rare  opportunities  for  the  philosopher 
and  conversationalist.  And  what  better  means  for  the  exhibition 
of  patience  than,  when  a  cycling  trip  has  been  carefully  arranged, 
to  have  the  independent  old  Sun  hide  his  head  under  thick,  black 
clouds  which  soon  pour  down  sheet  after  sheet  of  water,  to  the 
thorough  extinction  of  excursionists'  hopes  and  the  bedraggling 
of  all  wayfarers. 

Such  spasmodic  showers  from  scowling  heavens  have  been 
usual,  so  when,  this  evening,  the  sky  continues  to  show  bright  and 
clear,  four  of  us  ardent  spirits,  after  a  long  day's  ramble  at  Bee- 
tham,  resolve  to  place  our  much-abused  confidence  in  the  new 
month  of  July  and  extend  our  trip  to  Lakeland  for  a  day. 

The  delights  of  this  district  are  well  heralded  during  the 
approach.  From  Kendalon,  the  road  becomes  more  undulating, 
and  the  surroundings  more  mountainous.  It  seems,  as  we  pass 
between  the  rolling  hills  of  various  shape,  carpeted  with  grass 
and  hovering  ferns,  and  of  ever-increasing  heights,  that  we  are 
entering  a  region  of  enchantment  through  sacred  portals.  It  is 
just  at  that  peaceful  time  when  the  sun  sinks  to  rest  and  all  nature 
seems  "breathless  with  adoration."  The  hush  is  that  of  labor 
done ;  only  the  soft  twittering  of  hidden  birds,  or  the  distant  bark- 
ing of  a  noisy  dog,  break  the  silence.  As  we  pierce  further,  the 
beauty  and  wildness  grow  apace.  Clumps  of  huge  oaks  and 
spreading  beeches  add  to  the  delight  of  shrub  and  grass,  while 
great  fields  of  uncultivated  marguerites  increase  a  wonderful 
variety  and  charm  of  wood  and  stream  and  mountain.  The 
ancient  stone  fences  become  rougher  and  neglected,  and  though 
a  few  white  cottages  of  rock  dot  the  fell  sides  yet  they  seem  to 
harbor  solitude  itself.  The  sun,  taking  one  last  peep  over  that 
wooded  hill,  casts  over  all  a  sheen  of  mellow  light. 

Turning  away,  we  pass  hurriedly  on  in  fear  that  we  shall 
never  reach  Bowness  by  dusk.  But,  after  a  plod  up  a  long  hill, 
drink  at  a  cool  spring,  and  then  an  exhilarating  coast  into  the 
valley  beyond,  we  are  shown  the  folly  of  such  anxieties  with  a 
view  of  Windermere,  the  largest  of  the  lakes,  reflecting  the  blue 
of  the  sky  and  the  beauty  of  its  wooded  banks  and  green  islands 


A  DAY  IN  THE  ENGLISH  LAKELAND 


369 


with  their  enlivening  villas.  In  ten  minutes  more  of  descent  we 
reach  Bowness,  prettily  situated  in  a  small  bay  on  the  eastern 
bank,  and  presenting  a  quaint  arrangement  of  hotels,  shops  and 
other  tourist  conveniences. 

With  a  wash  and  a  meal  we  are  sufficiently  refreshed  to  en- 
joy a  row  on  the  quiet  coolness  of  the  lake  in  the  gloaming.  On 
the  return  journey  we  lose  our  way  for  a  time,  but  sky-rockets 
fired  by  presumptuous  Yankees,  who  are  celebrating  the  glorious 
Fourth,  to  the  intense  disgust  of  some  English  bystanders,  at  the 
very  edge  of  the  water,  guide  us  from  our  black  surroundings 
into  more  visible  parts.  The  dreamy  atmosphere,  and  our  day's 
exertions,  conduce  weariness  at  last,  though  one  is  apt  to  neglect 
sleep  in  this  charming  district. 

But,  in  spite  of  this  last,  we  must  confess  that  it  requires  a 


1 

3*" 

JL.                    1 

e4»  e&'4o** 

THE    NORTH    END   OF   WINDERMERE 


lusty  hammering  of  the  door  by  our  punctual  host,  and  dwelling 
thoughts  of  breakfast  in  speedy  preparation,  to  stir  us  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning.  After  the  meal  we  bid  good-by  to  the  tiny  sea- 
port and,  passing  along  a  splendid  road  on  the  edge  of  Winder- 
mere, which  is  shining  beautifully  in  the  morning  sunlight,  we 
penetrate  the  amphitheatre  of  lofty  hills  which  enclose  its  north- 
ern end.  Nestling  at  the  foot  of  these  is  Ambleside,  lovely  on 
this  fresh  summer's  morning.  This  hamlet  is  supposed  to  have 
been  a  Roman  station,  and  its  surroundings  are  both  beautiful 
and  famous.    Encircled  as  it  is  by  sheltering  hills,  with  its  nearby 


370 


MPROVEMENT  ERA 


streams  and  waterfalls,  its  moss-grown  bridges  and  quiet,  repose- 
ful nooks,  it  possesses  an  air  of  seclusion  and  retirement  which 
even  the  presence  of  the  hustling  tourist  and  noisy  wagonette 
cannot  destroy. 

The  cry  of  the  party,  however,  is  "a  general  view  of  a  great 

deal,"  so  our  plans  for  the  day  will 
admit  of  no  dalliance,  nor  even  jus- 
tifiable delay.  We  search  out  the 
road  and,  speeding  on,  arrive  almost 
immediately  at  the  small Rydal  water, 
which  has  crept  up  among  the 
grasses  of  its  gentle  shores,  soften- 
ing the  edges  with  green,  and  re- 
flecting in  its  rippling  clearness  the 
high  mountain  which  stands  as  pro- 
tector of  its  silence  and  repose.  Here 
it  was  that  Wordsworth,  in  his  later 
life,  dreamed  and  thought  and  wrote 
his  most  powerful  verse,  and  here  it 
was  he  died.  There  is  a  rock  from 
which,  they  say,  he  often  mused, 
overlooking  the  lake,  and  every  tour- 
ist passing  on  the  road  feels  bound 
to  clamber  up  and  sit  him  down  com- 
placently  in  that  self-same   spot. 

OLD  BRIDGE,  AMBLESIDE  g^     ^     seem§     easier     ^     assodate 

Wordsworth  with  the  charming  little  village  and  the  sunny  lake 
of  Grasmere  which  burst  upon  us  like  a  revelation  as  the  road 
turns  sharply.  Here  is  the  quaint  and  humble  Dove  cottage  where 
he  lived,  from  1799  to  1808,  with  his  sister  Dorothy  and  his  wife; 
where  Coleridge,  Scott,  Charles  Lamb  and  other  guests  of  present 
great  renown  were  entertained.  It  is  now  presided  over  by  a 
pleasant  old  dame  who,  for  sixpence,  will  take  one  all.  through  the 
premises  and  also  remember 
many  interesting  details  of 
the  poet's  life,  with  remark- 
able accuracy.  And  here  is 
the  church  of  "rude  and  an- 
tique majesty"  with  "oaken 
benches  ranged  in  seemly 
rows"  in  whose  quiet  yard 
the  great  master  is  buried, 
and  which  contains  a  tablet 
with  the  following  inscription  :      rydal  lake  and  silver  bow 

To  the  Memory  of  William  Wordsworth, 
A  True  Philosopher  and  Poet, 


A  DAY  IN  THE  ENGLISH   LAKELAND 


371 


Who,  By  the  Special  Gift  and  Calling  of  Almighty  God, 

Whether  He  Discoursed  on  Man  or  Nature, 

Failed  Not  to  Lift  Up  the  Heart  to  Holy  Things, 

Tired  Not  of  Maintaining  the  Cause  of  the  Poor  and 

Simple; 
And  So,  in  Perilous  Times,  Was  Raised  Up  to  Be  a  Chief 

Minister, 

Not  Only  of  Noblest  Poesy, 

But  of  High  and  Sacred  Truth. 

This  Memorial  is  Placed  Here  by  His  Friends  and 

Neighbors 

In  Testimony  of  Respect,  Affection  and  Gratitude, 

Anno  Dom.   MDCCCLI. 


Beyond  the  village  of  Grasmere  we 
soon  began  the  long  ascent  to  the  top  of 
Dunmail  Raise  and,  as  the  scenery  be- 
comes wilder,  the  sun  hotter,  and  the 
bicycles  heavier,  we  find  hunger  and 
thirst  gaining  alarming  headway.  An 
important  discussion  takes  place,  during 
which  much  wisdom  is  unmuzzled,  the 
ultimate  result  being  that  we  dine  like 
kings,  on  bread  and  milk,  at  a  nearby 
farmhouse.  Feeling  much  refreshed, 
and  grimly  determined  to  reach  Keswick 
in  short  order,  we  climb  on,  envious  of 

william  Wordsworth    those  who  are  traveling  in  the  opposite 

direction,    until    the   top   of   the   pass    is 

reached.     Then   we   covet   no 

man's  hold  on  gravitation,  for 

we  have  but  to  sit    still    and 

steer    straight,    to    coast    for 

miles  at  lightning  speed. 

A   view   of    Lake   Thirl- 

mere   and  the   towering  Hel- 

wellyn  are  now  obtained.   The 

lake  is   winding  and  narrow, 

being  nowhere  more  than  one- 
third  of  a  mile  wide,  though 

over  three  in  length.    A  steep 

down-hill    takes    us    past    the 

cluster  of  small  houses  called 

Wythburn,  and  there  lies  the  peaceful  water  close  at  hand,  seem- 


dove  cottage,  grasmere, 
Wordsworth's  home 


340 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


ing  to  bask  in  the  warm  sun  while  mirroring  the  clear  sky  and  the 
picturesque  crags  and  woods  of  its  further  side.     Rising  on  the 


THIRLMERE 


east  and  pouring  cascades  down  their  broad  sides  to  feed  the 
valuable  lake  are  the  giant  mount  and  his  companions. 

Thirlmere  is  now  the  property  of  the  Manchester  corporation 
which  has  made  of  her  a 
reservoir  for  the  thirsty 
thousands  of  '  the  city,  by 
raising  her  water  level 
twenty  feet  with  a  dam  at 
the  north  end,  and  convey- 
ing the  water  through  an 
aqueduct  ninety-six  miles 
long. 

We  sigh  for  more  time 
to  gaze,  but  a  glance  as  we        Tur-"*! 
ride  past  is  all  we  may  per- 
mit ourselves.    Then,  push-  coaches  descending  dunmail  raise 

ing  on  through  beauteous  woods,  up  and  down  dale,  we  reach 
Keswick  at  last.  It  is  situated  close  to  Derwentwater,  and  amid 
other  attractive  places.  And  therein  lies  its  distinction,  for  of 
itself,  'tis  just  a  busy  little  market  town  with  perplexing  tangles 
in  its  street  arrangement,  and  not  much  to  lure  the  visitor. 
Threading  our  way  through  the  maze,  we  find  the  broad,  blue 
lake  and,  at  its  edge,  a  clamorous  old  boat-tender  who  assures  us 


A  DAY  IN  THE  ENGLISH  LAKELAND 


\ 


373 


DERWENTWATER 


most  earnestly  that  to  return  without  viewing  the  environs  from 
one  of  his  gasoline  launches — fare,  one  "bob" — would  be  rank 
folly.  The  restful  prospect  looks  entirely  welcome,  and  boating 
delightful,  so  we  heed  his  warning  and  clamber  aboard ;  actions 
not  to  be  regretted,  for  Derwentwater  appears  to  us  the  most 
fascinating  and   loveliest  lake   we   have   seen   on  the  trip.     Its 

breadth,  its  arrangement  of 
green  islets,  the  well-tim- 
bered banks,  and,  more 
than  all,  its  background  of 
lofty  hills,  over  which,  on 
this  sunny  afternoon,  a 
filmy  blue  haze  lingers, 
make  of  every  man  a  "si- 
lent poet." 

Leaning  back  upon  the 
chair  cushions,  we  rehearse 
the  incidents  of  the  day.  Of 
the  heart  of  "Wordsworth- 
shire"  we  have  received 
only  a  passing  glimpse,  but,  be  that  view  ever  so  transient,  it  has 
awakened  in  us  a  desire  for  more  careful  scrutiny  of  what  we 
can  understand  now  more  fully  than  before — "Lake"  poetry  and 
prose.  And  we  have  spent  a  day  with  nature  at  her  best.  If  it 
be  true  that  "man  is  a  part  of  all  that  he  has  seen,"  then  we  need 
search  no  further  for  the  source  of  a  deal  of  the  power  of  Words- 
worth, who  saw  intensely  and  loved  most  deeply  this  impressive 
country,  his  chosen  home.  Surely,  there  is  great  strength  in  the 
hills  for  him  who  seeks  it. 

Just  a  concluding  thought.  It  has  often  been  said  that  a 
thorough  love  of  travel  destroys,  or  at  least  interferes,  with  a 
love  of  home,  but  we  believe  that,  however  much  one  from  the 
West  may  be  fascinated  by  the  antiquity  and  beauty  of  European 
displays,  yet  the  highest  compliment  he  is  able  to  pay  to  a  foreign 
scene  appears  to  be :  "It  is  very  much  like  home !"  And  if  the 
Lake  district  of  England  has  its  school  of  poets  and  other  noble 
and  renowned  men,  we  feel  that  the  merited  distinction  is  sure  to 
come  to  those  unselfish  and  great  souls  whose  lives  and  efforts 
have  been  and  are  being  directed,  in  those  beautiful  vales  of  our 
own  inspiring  Rocky  Mountains,  toward  the  improvement  and 
benefit  of  the  race. 

WIGAN,  ENGLAND 


A  Glimpse  ofjthe  Salt  Works 


BY  ANNIE   KAY   HARDY 


Even  as  one  is  deceived  over  the  extent  of  the  Great  Salt 
Lake,  until  he  measures  its  dimensions  by  sailing  over  its  lovely, 
treacherous  surface,  or  wandering  around  its  desolate  shores, 
so  our  party  expressed  surprise  at  the  extent  and  importance  of 
the  "Salt  Ponds"  and  Mills  where  from  a  liquid  state  by  evapor- 
ation the  fine,  pure  salt  of  the  Inland  Crystal  Salt  Co.  is  prepared 
for  the  market. 

Leaving  the  Saltair  train  at  a  point  necessary  to  reach  our 
destination,  we  walked  single  file  along  the  narrow,  raised  path. 
Could  we  help  thinking  of  the  One  who  walked  beside  the  "Tide- 
less  Sea"  of  Scripture  lands  and  drew  his  simple,  forceful  com- 
parisons from  nature's  activities : 

If  the  salt  hath  lost  its  savor,  wherewithal  shall  the  earth 
be  salted? 

The  disturbed  cry  of  a  flock  of  killdeers  rang  out  shrilly  as 
we  followed  our  guide,  the  superintendent  of  the  works,  to  the 
place  where  we  took  the  "observation"  flat  car. 

The  purpose  of  partitioning  off  the  water,  ( which  is  pumped 
from  the  main  body  of  the  lake,)  into  great  basins  or  troughs,  so 
that  it  may  become  more  and  more  concentrated,  was  explained. 

A  kind  of  salt  floor,  or  bottom  is  formed  to  protect  the  pro- 
duct from  contamination  of  soil  as  the  mineral  settles.  Then  it 
is  collected  into  large  heaps  in  the  basins  themselves  to  drain  or 
purify. 

The  salt  is  then  loaded  into  the  train,  which  has  an  engine 
run  by  oil  so  as  to  keep  the  forming  crystals  from  cinders  or  dirt 
that  otherwise  would  reach  it.  If,  in  spite  of  these  precautions, 
any  impurity  tinges  the  product,  ever  so  slightly,  it  is  used  for 
the  cattle  on  the  ranges. 

Following  this  important  native  product,  we  watched  the 
unloading  from  the  cars ;  the  processes  of  crushing  and  refining  in 
the  mill  by  skilfully  manipulated  machinery,  until  the  many-sized 
sacks  received  it  according  to  its  grade  of  fineness  or  purpose. 
Then  the  closing  of  the  sacks  was  accomplished ;  the  smaller  ones 
by  machine,  the  large  ones  by  hand. 

The  novice  can  only  wonder  at  the  intelligence  and  skill  that 
have  contributed  to  perfect  machinery  to  render  marketable  this 
most  necessary  commodity. 

Then,  we  saw  the  electrical  transformer  with  its  tiny  fuse  wire 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  THE  SALT  WORKS 

capable  of  carrying  45,000  volts.  This  supplies  power  and  light 
for  Saltair  Pavilion  as  well  as  the  salt  works. 

A  tremendous  pressure  moulds  and  squeezes  into  shape  the 
great  50-pound  blocks  of  salt  for  cattle.  These  look  like  polished 
marble. 

The  finished  product  finds  a  market  in  Washington,  Idaho. 
Montana,  New  Mexico,  Colorado  and  Utah. 

Operations  in  this  industry  were  begun  in  1878,  in  a  primitive 
way.  Now,  with  modern  mechanical  appliances,  between  forty 
and  fifty  men  and  a  few  women  are  employed  the  year  round. 
They  occupy  small,  rustic  cottages  near  the  mill,  and  there  is  near- 
by a  little  school  house. 

The  mill  and  houses  are  protected  against  fire  by  extinguish- 
ing apparatus  of  their  own. 

The  inexhaustible  quantity  of  salt  hidden  in  that  beautiful 
water  offers  unlimited  possibilities  for  an  extended  market  of  the 
future.  Utah's  resources  are  second  to  none  in  our  glorious 
Union. 

After  being  weighed,  kodaked,  and  surprised  into  a  delicious 
and  welcome  luncheon,  we  parted  from  our  genial  entertainer  to 
go  home  by  way  of  Saltair.     Then — 

A  billowy  cloud  in  a  perfect  sky, 
A  sweep  of  wings  as  the  gulls  flew  by, 
A  sparkle  and  glint  on  the  briny  wave, 
Were  some  of  the  joys  a  sweet  day  gave. 

SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 


The  Ten-Dollar  Bill* 

The  Confessions  of  a  U.  S.  Greenback 


I  am  crumpled  and  creased  with  the  fingers  of  age ; 
I'm  the  friend  of  the  banker,  the  thief  and  the  sage 
Society  leaders  have  tested  my  worth ; 
Of  a  millionaire's  pile  I  myself  am  the  birth. 
I've  befriended  the  needy,  the  good  and  the  ill : 
I  am  known  far  and  wide— I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

Inclosed  in  a  letter,  I've  traveled  for  miles 

To  be  met  with  a  wealthy  philanthropist's  smiles, 

To  be  cast  in  a  vault  overladen  with  gold, 

♦Copyright,  1913,  by  Walter  P.  Emmett. 


376  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

To  change  hands  with  another  for  property  sold, 
To  be  hidden  from  sight  in  a  bar-tender's  till ; 
I,  the  curse  of  the  drunkard:  a  Ten-Dollar  Bill! 

At  the  risk  of  a  life,  on  the  turf  I've  been  laid, 
Where  pockets  are  emptied,  and  fortunes  are  made 
To  be  squandered  and  lost  and  as  quickly  regained. 
For  liquors  and  poison,  my  worth  has  been  drained. 
I  have  broken  up  homes,  I've  caused  humans  to  kill 
And  be  sentenced  to  death — I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

My  notable  value  has  goaded  the  thief, 
Brought  tears  of  repentance  and  murmurs  of  grief, 
Caused  sons  to  rejoice  and  fond  mothers  to  sigh, 
Caused  fathers  to  question  and  juniors  to  lie ; 
Caused  burglars  to  seek  me  with  powder  and  drill : 
I'm  the  father  of  crime — I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

The  miser  has  placed  me  away  in  his  hoard ; 
In  garrets  and  cellars  for  years  I've  been  stored 
To  be  cherished  in  secret  and  fondled  with  greed. 
Upon  me  two  gray  eyes  can  constantly  feed. 
Were  the  miser  in  heaven  he'd  gloat  o'er  me  still : 
I'm  the  mother  of  greed — I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

I'm  bartered  for  lives  in  pawn-brokers'  halls, 
I  fill  with  expression  the  gilded  "three-balls ;" 
For  trinkets  and  trash  I  am  traded  and  loaned 
Where  thieves  are  exalted  and  bankers  dethroned. 
The  prison  and  poor-house  I  constantly  fill : 
I'm  the  source  of  regret — I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

But  I  do  not  live  for  the  evil,  alone : 

For  sins  I've  contracted,  with  good  I'll  atone. 

A  boon  and  a  blessing — tho'  tainted  with  strife, 

Where  Hunger  assailed  I've  saved  many  a  life. 

When  used  by  sweet  Charity's  hon'rable  will 

I'm  a  true  "friend-in-need" — I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 


THE  TEN-DOLLAR  BILL  377 

I've  doctored  the  blind,  and  have  caused  them  to  see ; 
From  the  chains  of  Despair  I've  set  multitudes  free ; 
I've  cared  for  the  lame  and  have  caused  them  to  walk ; 
I've  paid  for  the  cradle  and  helped  it  to  rock, 
Re-livened  the  sick  and  compounded  each  pill ; 
All  invalids  love  me — the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

I've  brightened  the  winter  and  kept  out  the  cold ; 
I've  patronized  justice  and  humored  its  hold  ; 
I've  paid  for  each  comfort  that  graces  the  home, 
Saved  many  a  son  who  would  wander  or  roam ; 
A  fireside-love  in  the  heart  I  instill 
With  my  winter-night  coals — I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill ! 

I've  cherished  professions  and  builded  our  schools, 
Made  doctors  and  lawyers  from  dunces  and  fools, 
Made  wives  of  distinction  that  honor  the  land, 
Brought  talent  to  light  and  made  genius  expand, 
Constructed  each  factory,  warehouse  and  mill ; 
I'm  Industry's  joy— I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill! 

I  pay  for  the  railroads— the  rover's  delight, 
The  huge  carbon  lamps  that  make  day  out  of  night, 
The  steamboat  of  Commerce,  the  import  it  brings, 
The  large  ocean  cable,  the  message  it  sings, 
The  press  and  the  telegraph— all  works  of  skill 
I  love  and  respect— I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill. 

With  good  and  with  bad  I  rank  always  the  same ; 
I  starve  and  make  wretched  or  feed  and  bring  fame. 
I  comfort  the  friendless,  spent  in  a  good  cause ; 
Or  I  barter  the  babe  to  the  fierce  eagle's  claws. 
I  can  change  the  Andes  to  a  miniature  hill : 
I'm  the  emblem  of  might— I,  the  Ten-Dollar  Bill! 

Walter  P.  Emmett. 


OGDEN,     UTAH 


Editor's  Table 


'Joieph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator" 


We  give  considerable  space  in  this  number  of  the  Era  to 
some  articles  in  reply  to  a  criticism  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 
published  by  the  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Utah,  Rev.  F.  S.  Spalding, 
in  a  recent  brochure  circulated  especially  among  the  students  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints  high  schools.  The  criticism  deals  with  the 
Pearl  of  Great  Price,  and  especially  with  the  Book  of  Abraham, 
but  specifically  with  the  engravings  and  their  significance  ac- 
companying the  Book  of  Abraham,  and  which  are  designated  in 
the  Pearl  of  Great  Price  as  facsimiles  from  the  Book  of  Abraham. 

The  argument  which  Bishop  Spalding  sets  forth  appears  to 
be  an  attack  not  only  on  the  Book  of  Abraham,  but  on  the  Book  of 
Mormon  as  well — in  fact  his  purpose  seems  to  be  to  discredit  the 
divinity  of  Joseph  Smith's  inspiration  as  a  translator.  He  wishes 
to  show  that  since  we  have  only  the  facsimile  plates,  which  are 
a  small  accompaniment  to  the  Book  of  Abraham,  if  it  can  be 
proved  that  these  are  incorrectly  translated,  we  must  infer  and 
decide  that  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  was  not  an  inspired  translator,  and 
conclude  that  not  only  the  Book  of  Abraham  but  also  the  Book 
of  Mormon  and  the  "whole  body  of  belief  must  be  repudiated." 

He  argues  that  it  can  only  be  decided,  whether  these  facsimiles 
in  the  Book  of  Abraham  are  correctly  translated  by  submitting 
the  original  records  to  scientific  men.  So  he  has  submitted  them 
to  eight  recognized  authorities  of  Egyptology  in  Europe  and  the 
United  States.  Their  apparently  hurried  and  seemingly  poorly 
considered  replies  are  printed  in  his  book,  and  they  agree  in  this 
much,  though  they  differ  from  one  another  in  many  other  points, 
that  Joseph  Smith's  translation  is  not  correct.  Their  testimony, 
however,  to  Dr.  Spalding  is  complete,  and  hence  his  conclusion  that 
"Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator"  is  incorrect  and  in  con- 
sequence "Mormonism"  is  doomed  to  failure. 

In  the  articles  presented  in  this  number  of  the  Era,  and  in 
others  on  hand  and  to  be  printed,  issue  is  taken  with  the  Bishop 


EDITOR'S  TABLE  379 

in  his  conclusions.  We  believe  it  is  clearly  shown  that  his  argu- 
ment, in  the  first  place,  is  misleading  if  not  fallacious;  that  the 
savants  consulted  may  have  been  prejudiced  beforehand,  and  made 
no  real  scientific  investigation  of  the  translations  of  the  prophet ; 
that  they  differ  from  each  other  materially  in  their  conclusions ; 
that  upon  investigation  the  translation  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
agrees  with,  rather  than  differs  from,  the  most  modern  and 
reliable  information  that  can  be  obtained ;  and  that  therefore 
Joseph  Smith  was  inspired  in  the  translation  of  the  facsimiles  from 
the  Book  of  Abraham. 

This  becomes  clearer  when  it  is  considered  that,  at  the  time 
he  made  the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Abraham,  little  was  known 
of  Egyptology,  and  scant  study  had  been  made  of  Egyptian 
writings.  Furthermore,  he  was  young  and  inexperienced  in  the 
lore  of  the  world,  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  ac- 
complish what  he  did  without  the  inspiration  of  God.  The  Latter- 
day  Saints  maintain  that  while  there  was  some  difference  between 
the  methods  of  translation  used  by  the  prophet  in  the  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Abraham  and  the  Book  of  Mormon ;  that  while 
he  applied  his  own  mind  as  far  as  he  could,  in  all  his  work,  (  and 
his  mind  expanded  in  intelligence  as  he  grew  in  age  and  experi- 
ence,) yet  in  all  his  work  he  was  divinely  inspired— in  his 
translations,  his  revelations,  and  his  wonderful  personal  direction 
in  the  establishment  of  the  work  of  God  known  as  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  "the  marvelous  work  and  a 
wonder"  predicted  by  the  ancient  prophets  that  should  be  founded 
upon  the  earth  in  the  latter  days. 

Men  may  not  believe  it.  but  nevertheless  we  testify  to  these 
truths.  They  did  not  believe  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ— he  was 
repudiated  by  his  own  generation,  unto  whom  he  was  a  sign  call- 
ing to  repentance.     He  said: 

-The  queen  of  the  south  shall  rise  up  in  the  judgment  with  the  men 
of  this  generation,  and  condemn  them:  for  she  came  from  the  utmost  parts 
of  the  earth  to  hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon:  and,  behold,  a  greater  than 
Solomon  is  here."— Luke  11:31. 

As  they  did  not  believe  in  the  divinity  of  the  Christ,  so  also 
men  repudiate  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  who 
is  a  true  witness  of  Jesus.     But  it  is  the  testimony  of  the  Latter- 


380  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

day  Saints  that  Joseph  Smith  is  an  inspired  prophet  sent  of  God 
with  the  true  message  of  salvation  to  the  sons  of  men ;  that  the 
work  he  did  was  inspired ;  that  the  Church  which  he  was  instru- 
mental in  founding  is  the  Church  of  God,  and  that  the  doctrines 
which  he  taught  are  the  restored,  plain,  and  simple  principles  of 
the  gospel  taught  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  the  salvation  of  all 
mankind.  We  invite  all  men,  in  all  the  earth,  to  investigate,  to 
repent  of  their  sins,  and  to  be  baptized  by  those  who  have  received 
divine  authority,  thus  submitting  their  lives  to  the  saving  ordi- 
nances of  the  gospel,  and  the  unfailing  promise  is  that  they  shall 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  their  surpassing  daily  light  and  joy, 
and  their  eternal  guide  and  comfort. 

Not  only  do  we  testify  that  Joseph  Smith  was  inspired  when 
he  gave  to  the  world  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price,  but  we  declare  that 
it  was  by  the  inspiration  and  power  of  God  that  he  translated  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  organized  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  gave  man- 
kind the  precious  revelations  contained  in  the  Doctrine  and  Cov- 
enants ;  and  it  is  our  firm  belief  that  scientific  investigation  and 
discovery   will   confirm    our   testimony,    rather   than   weaken    or 

repudiate  it. 

Joseph  F.  Smith. 


Messages  from  the  Missions 


Elder  E.  W.  Richardson  writes  from  Toluca,  Mexico,  November 
13:  "We  are  almost  completely  surrounded  by  rebels,  making  it 
difficult  for  us  to  visit  friends  and  investigators,  but  we  are  able  to 
keep  busy  and  are  making  many  friends,  particularly  among  the  well- 
to-do  people.  Our  only  danger  in  visiting  is  in  being  robbed,  since 
we  would' be  counted  among  the  rich  by  the  revolutionists  who  appear 
to  be  fighting  the  power  of  wealth,  or  the  haciendos,  who  are 
owners  of  large  tracts  of  land  and  are  little  better  than  slave  drivers. 
Our  lives  are  in  no  danger,  and  we  desire  to  set  the  minds  of  our 
families  and  friends  at  rest  on  that  score.  The  newspaper  reporters, 
some  of  them,  are  much  inclined  to  exaggerate  the  conditions.  The 
work  here  is  prospering  as  well  as  if  there  were  no  war  in  the  land. 
We  expect  to  baptize  from  eight  to  twelve  people  at  our  next  confer- 
ence, making  twenty-five  in  the  last  six  months  in  this  conference 
where  two  to  six  elders  have  been  working." 

Elder  Wilford  C.  Brimley,  clerk  of  the  Nottingham  conference, 
writes,   November  14:     "At  our  conference  on   November  8,  we  had 


NOTTINGHAM  CONFERENCE,  SEPTEMBER  8,  1912 
■Back  Row:  J.  S.  Hemming,  Rexburg,  Idaho;  L.  M.  Brown,  Cardston,  Canada;  R.  B. 
Call,  Afton,  Wyoming;  W.  L.  Evans,  Parowan,  Utah;  J.  J.  Whetton,  Salt  Lake  City; 
W.  J.  Sessions,  Clearfield,  Utah;  W.  Rawlings,  Fairview,  Idaho.  Second  Row:  E.  H. 
Adams,  Clifton,  Idaho;  J.  W.  Haslam,  Salt  Lake  City;  Chas.  Buck,  Smithfield,  Utah; 
O.  L.  Thomas,  Bountiful,"  Utah;  W.  C.  Hunter,  Salt  Lake  Citv;  D.  M.  Davis,  Bountiful, 
Utah;  Pres.  A.  T.  Smith,  Clearfield,  Utah;  J.  H.  Davis,  Salt  Lake  City.  Third  Row: 
T.  F.  Hardy,  Salt  Lake  City;  W.  C.  Brimley  (Conference  secretary),  Salt  Lake  City; 
T.  S.  Wheatley  (Conference  president),  Honeyville,  Utah;  Rudger  Clawson  (Mission 
president),  Salt  Lake  City;  T.  E.  Winegar  (incoming  president),  Woods  Cross,  Utah; 
E.  Taft  Benson  (Mission  secretary),  Trenton,  Utah;  I.  C.  Wood,  Yvoods  Cross,  Utah. 
Front  Row:  Thos.  Martin,  Evanston,  Wyoming;  A.  T.  Henson,  Cardston,  Canada; 
B.  L.  Gilbert,  Whitney,  Idaho;  O.  B.  Thurgood,  Bountiful,  Utah. 

three  sessions,  exceptionally  well  attended.  In  the  evening-Cobden 
Hall  was  filled  to  overflowing.  Many  friends  and  investigators  were 
present.  Each  elder  spoke  with  conviction  under  the  direction  of  tin- 
Holy  Spirit.  The  spiritual  condition  of  the  branches  of  the  Church 
here  is  very  gratifying.  The  elders  are  united  and  nearly  alp  the 
Saints  attend  meeting  and  pay  their  tithes,  and  heartily  support  the 
elders.  The  Saints  preach  the  gospel  by  precept  as  .well  as  by  exam- 
ple, and  bring  their  friends  to  meeting.  Since  January  1st  we  have 
baptized  twenty-four  people.  Considering  the  opposition  and  the 
bitter  persecution  some  of  the  papers  have  waged  against  us  this  year 
and  last,  we  feel  that  the  Lord  has  greatly  blessed  us  in  our  efforts 
to  teach  the  gospel." 

Elder  W.  C.  Davidson  writes  from  Dublin,  Ireland.  November  9: 
"We  have  been  very  successful  this  season,  both  in  our  hall  and  out- 
door meetings.  Last  May  we  moved  into  a  beautiful  hall  and  are  con- 
tinually seeing  new  faces  who  have  mustered  the  courage  to  listen 
to  what  the  'Mormons'  have  as  a  message  for  the  world.  The  Saints 
are  sincere  in  their  work,  and  have  extra  strong  testimonies  of  the 
gospel.  They  are  being  blessed  spiritually  and  temporally  and  pay 
their  tithes  regularly.  They  bear  their  testimonies  with  spirit,  ami 
continually  testify  to  the  world  that  the  gospel  has  been  restored,  and 
that  Joseph  Smith  is  a  prophet  of  God.  Often  they  mv.te^fnends 
to  their  homes  and  ask  us  elders  to  explain  the  gospel  to  them." 


382 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Elder  D.  William  Evans,  writing  from  Launciston,  Tasmania, 
reports  that  missionary  work  last  year  was  discontinued  in  that  place, 
but  that  since  January  of  1912  Elders  Bingham  and  Wright  have 
revived  the  work  and  made  a  number  of  good  friends,  not  many  of 
whom,  however,  are  very  much  interested  in  the  gospel.  The  people 
here  seem  to  take  very  little  interest  in  any  religion,  but  there  is  very 
little  prejudice  among  them.  "We  have,  however,  to  contend  with  the 
spirit  of  indifference.  Elder  Bingham  is  released  and  left  for  his  home 
on  the  September  boat." 

Elders  Wm.  B.  Welker  and  Frank  L.  Winter, 
writing  from  Hinton,  W.  Va.,  say:  "We  are  pleased 
to  report  that  we  have  had  very  good  success  dur- 
ing August  and  September,  working  in  this  part  of 
the  Lord's  vineyard,  having  baptized  seventeen, 
blessed  seven  children  and  held  thirty-one  well-at- 
tended meetings,  also  disposed  of  several  small 
books  and  other  literature.  The  people  here  seem 
to  be  very  interested  in  the  message  which  has  been 
brought  to  their  doors,  and  extended  an  invitation  to  us  to  call  again. 
At  present  we  are  in  the  small  city  of  Hinton,  W.  Va.,  where  we 
expect  to  locate   for  the  winter  months." 

Brevik  is  a  small  city  on  the  southeastern  coast  of  Norway. 
Three  Elders  recently  visited  Brynild  Isaksen,  a  veteran  Elder  resid- 
ing there,  whose  life  is  a  remarkable  story 
;hich  inspires  one  in  his  presence  to  faith- 
fulness and  good  works.  He  was  born  at 
Nellefos,  Norway,  May  16,  1825,  and  later 
removed  to  Brevik  where,  in  1852,  the  first 
conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
1  atter-day  Saints  was  organized  in  Norway. 
On  November  5,  1852,  of  the  same  year  he 
was  baptized  a  member  of  the  Church  by 
.  Larsen  and  confirmed  April  11,  1853,  by 
Swend  Larsen.  He  was  ordained  an  elder 
on  January  15,  1857.  by  H.  P.  Lund.  Dur- 
irg  all  these  years  he  has  been  a  true  and 
faithful  defender  of  the  cause.  Some  years 
ago  his  wife,  who  was  also  a  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Church,  died,  and  several  of  his 
sons  have  met  death  at  sea.  He  has  a  daughter  and  a  grandson  in 
Boston,  where  the  latter  is  an  officer  in  the  United  States  navy.  Elder 
Isaksen  is  still  holding  the  position  of  shipping  clerk  at  the  Brevik 
docks,  though  now  in  his  88th  year.  He  has  been  a  tithe-payer  ever 
since  he  joined  the  Church,  and  though  he  has  never  seen  the  peaceful 
vales  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  he  has  now  in  his  possession  the  gen- 
ealogy of  443  dead  relatives  for  whom  work  has  been  performed  in  the 


EDITOR'S  TABLE 


383 


temples  of  God.  To  remember  the  60th  anniversary  of  his  birth  into 
the  Church,  the  elders  of  the  Christiania  conference,  on  the  5th  of 
November  last,  sent  him  a  small  token  and  a  tribute  of  respect 
for  his  faithfulness  in  the  Church.  He  remains  a  living  monument 
matking  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  to  Norway,  and  the  unwritten 
history  of  its  progress  since  its  introduction  sixty  years  ago.  His 
memory  will  live  in  the  hearts  of  the  Norwegian  Latter-day  Saints, 
and  he  will  be  remembered  for  generations  by  the  elders  at  home  and 
abroad.  The  elders  are  Arno  W.-  Sorensen,  Victor  D.  Nielsen,  and 
Olaf  Anderson,  who  writes  the  above  for  the  Era. 

Elder  A.  R.  Cook,  president  of  the  Norwich  Conference  of  the 
British  Mission,  writes,  October  29:  "The  work  of  the  Lord  is  pro- 
gressing in  this  district  as  well  as  can  be  expected.  In  spite  of  the 
fact  that  many  of  the  newspapers  and  magazines  have  done  all  in 
their  power  to  prejudice  the  people  against  us  and  our  message  by 
telling  some  of  the  worst  lies  that  were  ever  printed,  we  have  baptized 
fift;en  new  members  during  the  past  six  months.     In  my  estimation 


this  is  qr.ile  encouraging  when  one  considers  the  obstacles  that  have 
been  placed  in  our  path.  The  elders  are  energetic  in  their  work  and 
are  doing  the  best  they  can  to  convince  the  people  both  by  doctrine 
and  by  their  lives  that  they  are  the  servants  of  the  Lord."  Elders 
right  to  left:  E.  W.  Carter,  Preston,  Idaho;  J.  A.  Wood,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah;  J.  L.  Nelson,  Lorenzo,  Idaho;  A.  Willardson,  Mayfield, 
Utah;  J.  R.  Pendry,  Paris,  Idaho;  W.  Bennion,  Salt  Lake  City;  E. 
Weaver  Paris,  Idaho;  sitting:  F.  D.  Ashdown,  Bountiful;  Conference 
President  A.  R.  Cook,  Syracuse;  Mission  President  Rudger  Clawson, 
Conference  Clerk  A.  T.  Johnson,  Rigby,  Idaho;  A.  B.  Mendenhall, 
Mapleton,  Utah. 


384 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Elder  P.  J.  Welch  writes  from  Belfast,  Ireland,  November  18: 
"The  work  of  the  Lord  is  prospering  in  the  land  where  the  Shamrock 
grows.  We  have  a  pros- 
perous branch  in  Dub- 
lin. The  Saints  attend 
meetings  well,  and  live 
the  requirements  of  the. 
gospel  to  the  best  of 
their  ability.  They 
seem  to  prosper  and 
are  successful  in  busi- 
ness and  pay  their  tithes.  It  is  inspiring  to  hear  the  testimonies  at 
our  fast  meetings,  where  they  speak  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  to 
them  and  testify  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel.  Perhaps  there  is  no 
place  on  earth  where  the  feeling  is  so  bitter  between  Catholic  and 
Protestant  as  here.  Persecution  is  often  great  and  it  is  hard  to  turn 
the  people  from  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  but  it  is  encouraging  to 
have  some  of  them  come  forth  and  embrace  the  gospel.  Elders  left 
to  right:  W.  A.  Noble,  Smithfield;  P.  J.  Welch,  Paradise;  H.  L.  Ster- 
ling, Spanish  Fork;  W.  C.  Davidson,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah." 


Elder  D.  Rolla  Harris,  writing  from  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  November  29, 
says:,  "The  elders  and  Saints  in  this  group  visited  the  Heinze  Pickle 
factory  November   18.     Names  left  to  right:     Elders   H.  J.    Richards, 


C.  A.  Wilcox,  George  S.  Williams,  A.  A.  Despain;  second  row:  Elders 
Jerome  Glany,  D.  P.  Lindsay,  George  B.  Davis,  J.  C.  Siddoway,  D. 
Rolla  Harris,  J.  A.  Ainscough,  Harry  McCarroll,  Earl  B.  Collings; 
third  row:     Elder  Frank  Bacon,  Sister  Anna  Smith,  A.  E.  Rhinehart, 


EDITOR'S  TABLE 


385 


G.   W.   Smith,  Elder  Hugh   Fackerell,   Sisters    Madeline   Poulis,   Pearl 
Critchlow,  E.  E.  Orr." 


Robert  H.  Sorensen  writes  from  Copenhagen,  November  15:  "The 
fall  conference  in  Copenhagen  was  well  attended  and  a  good  spirit 
prevailed.  Reports  showed  that  during  the  past  six  months  dating 
back  from  November  15 — seventeen  elders  distributed  70,445  tracts, 
3,563  books  and  booklets,  visited  26,461  strangers'  homes;  held  2,162 
gospel  conversations  and  554  meetings.  There  were  29  baptisms  and 
four  children  blessed  and  26  were  ordained  to  the   Priesthood.     The 


membership  in  this  conference  at  present  is  799.  The  tithing  has 
doubled  during  the  past  six  months.  Prospects  for  success  and 
greater  results  are  promising,  and  we  feel  that  the  Lord  is  with  us 
in  our  work.  Elders  left  to  right,  standing:  Simon  Christensen,  Jr., 
Richfield;  C.  Earl  Ander,  Hyrum;  I.  Arel  Jensen,  N.  •  L.  Hansen, 
Brigham  City;  Peter  C.  Lundgreen,  Monroe;  Lars  Jensen,  Mapleton; 
Alvin  R.  Christopherson,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  James  Anderson, 
Oakley,  Idaho;  Peter  W.  Kjar,  Salt  Lake  City;  Alfred  E.  Peterson, 
Sale  Lake  City;  sitting:  August  Knebelau,  Salt  Lake  City;  J.  Henry 
Christensen,  Centerfield;  John  S.  Hansen,  "Star"  writer,  Miller  ward, 
Salt  Lake  City;  Martin  Christopherson,  Mission  president;  Henry  A. 
Bjorkman,  Conference  president,  Newton;  Robert  H.  Sorensen,  Mis- 
sion secretary,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  Aaron  P.  Christiansen,  Mayfield, 
Utah." 

President  Franklin  J.  Hewlett,  of  the  South  African  Mission, 
writes,  Nov.  8:  "I  have  just  returned  from  a  nine  weeks'  trip  through 
the  South  African  mission,  traveling  3,070  miles,  visiting  the  Saints  and 
friends,  both  in  a  gathered  and  scattered  condition.  I  am  thankful  to 
say  that  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  practically  all  of  them. 
Many  had  not  seen  elders  for  over  a  year.  We  had  glorious  times  at 
our  meetings.  The  elders  are  in  splendid  health  and  spirits,  and 
doing  their  best  to  push  along  the  work  in  truth  and  righteousness." 


386 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Elder  Henry  W.  Hansen,  writes  from  Amsterdam,  Holland,  Nov. 
29:  "During  the  past  year  many  have  been  brought  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth  in  this  district  through 
the  efforts  of  the  missionaries  and 
Saints.  The  Saints  do  quite  as  much 
good  in  preaching  the  gospel  as  do 
the  missionaries  themselves.  They 
have  a  better  opportunity  to  converse 
with  their  friends.  We  encourage 
them  to  do  their  best  in  this  respect. 
We  are  not  bothered  with  much  op- 
position in  the  Netherlands.  The 
Hutch  people  are  a  peace-loving  peo- 
ple, and  are  willing  to  give  each  per- 
son an  equal  oportunity  to  defend  his 
religion.  Now  and  fhen  some  low- 
class  moving  picture  theaters  present 
such  films  as  'A  Victim  of  the  'Mor- 
mons,' '  'The  Pearl  of  Utah,  or  the 
Flower    of   the     'Mormons.'  '      These 

only  tend  to  stir  up  curiosity  and  bring  many  to  an  investigation  of 
the  gospel.  Instead  of  hindering  the  work,  therefore,  they  boost  it 
along.  We  have  five  branches  in  this  conference.  The  elders  are 
united,  and  feel  that  not  only  this  year,  but  next,  will  be  prosperous 
and  fruitful.  We  have  many  earnest  investigators.  Elders,  left  to 
right:  Henry  W.  Hansen,  R.  W.  Eardley,  mission  president;  William 
E.  McCullough,  all  from  the  Third  ward,  Salt  Lake  City." 


Elder  T.  Ray  Bell,  of  Richmond,  Utah,  and  Douglas  T.  Murdock, 
of    Heber    City,    Utah,    write    from    Lincolnshire,    England,    Nov.    22: 

"The  fact  that  our  branch  here 
at  Gainsborough  has  withstood 
the  'roll  of  persecution'  waged 
against  us  in  England,  and  prac- 
tically  all    over     the     European 

n^^k.  -J     ^fe^fe.         m'ss '" "■  ^ves  '"u"  evidence  that 

Sftlm  -l  the    work    of    the    Lord    is    pro- 

^L       jflj  gressing   in    this   town,   which    is 

|^  gj    W^l  one  °f  the  leading  iron  foundry 

towns  of  old  England.  We  have 
a  fully  organized  branch,  and 
each  separate  organization  is 
doing  active  work.  Our  mem- 
bers are  faithful  and  energetic,  and  with  their  help  the  elders  have 
been  gaining  the  good  will  of  many  who  have  heretofore  opposed  us." 


/**5^ 


Elder  Jesse  H.  Nielsen,  president  of  the  conference  at  Trondhjem, 


EDITOR'S  TABLE 


387 


Norway,  writes,  November  20:  "We  are  striving  to  bring  souls  unto 
Christ.  The  opposition  here  has  been  very  bitter,  especially  in  the 
cities.  The  priests  have  so  blinded  the  people  that  the  name  'Mormon' 
is  very  offensive  to  them,  but  we  are  finding  some  who  are  friendly 
toward  us.  The  Lord  is  good  to  us  and  with  his  help  we  are  going 
to  succeed.     The  elders,  first  row,  left  to  right:   H.  K.  Anderson,  Jesse 


f3    9     JL  *5  Rl 

^*5»  ■-. .  Ai  .^MIB?- 

H.  Nielsen,  conference  president;  Martin  Christopherson,  mission 
president;  Fred  C.  Michelsen,  retiring  Conference  president;  Arlaugh 
Michelsen,  Hilliard  Michelsen.  Second  row:  John  E.  Christensen, 
Charles  C.  Sorensen,  Leroy  L.  Larsen,  L.  Walter  Johnson,  Eric  A 
Cramer." 


Elder  Alfred  C.  Larsen,  secretary  of  the  Christiania  Conference, 
Norway,  writes,  November  2:  "One  feature  of  our  semi-annual  con- 
ference, held  here  October  12th  to  14th,  which  will  no  doubt  be  of 
interest  to  some  of  our  Era  readers,  was  the  unveiling  of  a  beautiful 
oil  painting  in  our  large  hall,  the  subject  being  "Christ  at  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  Choosing  Some  of  His  Apostles."  During  the  summer 
months  the  elders  spent  much  time  and  means  in  the  country  preach- 
ing the  gospel  in  the  districts  where  perhaps  'Mormon'  elders  hitherto 
had  never  before  placed  their  feet.  Thousands  of  tracts  and  books 
were  distributed  to  many  homes.  Both  the  poor  farmers  and  rich 
land  owners  had  their  doors  lightened  by  the  presence  of  the  humble 
servants  of  the  Lord  who  in  firmness,  humbleness  and  sincerity  ex- 
plained the  principles  of  the  gospel  and  bore  testimony  to  its  truth. 
Twenty-nine  persons  have  been  baptized  here  during  the  past  six 
months.  We  have  many  friends  and  investigators,  and  the  prospects 
for  the  future  are  good.  The  harvest  is  great  but  the  laborers  are 
few.     We  owe  to  the  world  talented  young  men  of  ability  and  special 


388 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


qualifications  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  refined  and  educated  people 
of  the  world — may  the  youth  of  Zion  prepare  themselves  for  the  min- 
istry, for  there  is  a  need  and  a  place  for  all. 

Elder  J.  Harvey  Langford,  secretary  of  the  California  mission, 
writes  from  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  November  5:  "The  people  of  Cali- 
fornia are  becoming  acquainted  with  us  and  the  message  we  have  for 
them.  Many  honest  and  liberal  citizens  are  watching  the  progress  of 
our  work  or  are  investigating  the  restored  gospel.  During  the  past 
nine  months  an  average  of  thirty-five  elders  has  labored  in  the  mis- 
sion. The  report  for  this  period  shows  that  104,067  tracts,  277  stand- 
ard Church  works,  and  1,351  small  books  have  been  distributed,  31,442 
families  of  strangers  were  visited,  410  open-air  meetings  and  210 
cottage  meetings  were  held  and  54  baptisms  performed. 


The  elders  of  the  Los  Angeles  Conference  are:  Back  row  from 
left:  H.  C.  Jolley,  Glendale;  A.  B.  Christensen,  Richfield;  David 
Smith,  Fillmore,  Utah ;  P.  P.  Skriver,  Aetna,  Alberta,  Canada.  Second 
row:  V.  Clyde  Cummings  Salt  Lake  City;  Adelbert  Holladay, '  Eden, 
Ariz.;  D.  Henry  Manning,  Garland,  Utah;  T.  Le  Roy  Pickett,  Clawson, 
Idaho;  Walter  A.  Knudsen,  Provo;  D.  W.  Chugg,  Providence;  Martin 
J.  Moody,  Hinkley.  Front:  Clarence  Cummings,  conference  clerk, 
Salt  Lake  City;  Jos.  P.  Payne,  conference  president,  Clearfield;  Jos 
E.  Robinson,  mission  president;  J.  Harvey  Langford,  mission  secre- 
tary, San  Jose,  Mexico;  Edward  L.  Simpson,  Kamas,  Utah." 


Priesthood  Quorums  Table 


Elder  George  Barton  Taylor,  son  of 

Joseph  J.  Taylor  and  Malinda  Barton, 
born  Sept.  19,  1885,  at  Manti,  Utah,  died 
Nov.  14,  1912,  at  Denver,  Colo.  Elder 
Taylor  left  his  home  for  the  mission  field 
Dec.  15,  1911,  and  labored  in  Trinidad, 
Colorado  Springs,  and  a  short  time  in 
Pueblo,  where  he  was  taken  sick  with 
typhoid  fever.  He  leaves  his  wife,  Mary 
Mabel  Anderson  Taylor,  and  one  child, 
Bessie,  aged  one  year,  eight  months,  who 
reside  at  Manti;  his  mother,  three  broth- 
ers, and  four  sisters,  who  reside  at  Ma- 
grath,  Canada.  He  died  in  the  harness 
of  the  priesthood,  doing  faithful  work. 


Men  Who  Remember  Seeing  the  Prophet  Joseph. — At  a  meeting 
of  the  High  Priests'  quorum  of  the  Granite  Stake  of  Zion,  Dec.  15,  the 
program  consisted  of  short  talks  by  members  who  had  personally 
known  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  The  following  brethren  responded: 
George  Wilding,  Hunter,  who  when  he  was  eleven  years  old,  had  first 
seen  the  Prophet,  and  had  later  worked  for  him  two  years;  Jacob 
Peart,  who,  at  the  age  of  nine,  saw  him  while  speaking  in  Nauvoo; 
W.  W.  Moesser,  Hunter  ward,  who,  at  nine  years  of  age,  and  at  his 
mother's  home,  remembered  sitting  upon  the  knees  of  the  Prophet; 
Henry  Home,  Farmers  ward,  who,  at  the  age  of  nine,  at  his  father's 
home,  remembered  sitting  upon  the  Prophet's  knee;  Lewis  A.  Huf- 
faker,  Forest  Dale,  who,  when  five  years  old,  remembered  the  trouble 
in  Nauvoo,  and  having  seen  the  Prophet  about  that  time.  He  remem- 
bered having  been  kept  in  the  house  while  a  fight  was  going  on,  and 
that  a  cannon  ball  took  away  part  of  the  picket  fence;  Joseph  A. 
Fisher,  Forest  Dale,  who,  at  the  age  of  three,  so  his  mother  told  him, 
had  been  held  by  the  Prophet  in  his  arms,  and  can  just  remember  hav- 
ing heard  him  preach;  Stephen  W.  Taylor,  Waterloo,  who,  at  the  age 
of  five,  remembered  the  Prophet  as  he  saw  him  riding  a  horse  at  a 
soldiers'  drill;  Edward  Morgan,  Mill  Creek,  who,  at  the  age  of  five, 
remembered  seeing  the  Prophet  dead,  and  the  people  weeping  and 
crying  over  the  loss  of  their  leader;  also  Edward  Webb.  South  Cot- 
tonwood. Belonging  to  the  same  quorum  was  Job  Smith  of  Suear 
ward,  who  was  confined  to  his  bed  with  sickness  and  who  has  since 
passed  to  his  reward.  He  was  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  first  saw 
the  Prophet.  The  meeting  was  very  entertaining  to  the  younger  mem- 
bers. Besides  the  information  which  was  given  concerning  the  Prophet, 
some  very  strong  testimonies  of  the  divinity  of  his  mission  were  given 
by  the  brethren  who  spoke. 


Mutual  Work 


A  Slogan  for  Larger  Membership 


To  Stake  and  Ward  Officers  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A., 

Dear  Brethren:  Ask  yourselves  this  question:  have  you  as  many 
members  in  your  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  as  you  ought  to  have? 

It  has  been  learned  by  the  General  Board  from  reports  received 
on  Stake  Work  that  a  large  number  of  the  associations  throughout  the 
Church  have  appointed  no  membership  or  missionary  committees. 
Little,  if  any,  missionary  work  in  consequence  has  been  done  to  in- 
crease the  attendance  and  membership  of  the  associations. 

This  condition  is  unfortunate.  The  General  Board  have  instructed 
this  committee  to  call  your  attention  to  the  need  of  having  a  member- 
ship committee  in  each  association,  and  that  there  is  great  need  for  the 
committees  doing  active  work  towards  increasing  the  attendance  in 
the  associations. 

Mutual  work  is  two  fold.  The  object  of  obtaining  membership 
is,  first,  to  get  the  boy  into  the  association;  and,  second,  to  so  interest 
him  that  he  may  stay  there. 

To  keep  the  boy  in  the  association  our  organization  has  provided, 
first,  preliminary  programs;  second,  class  study;  third,  social  work; 
fourth,  joint  sessions,  once  each  month  with  the  young  ladies;  fifth, 
open  night  programs  jointly  with  the  young  ladies;  sixth,  athletic  and 
M.  I.  A.  Scout  work;  seventh,  an  M.  I.  A.  Day  at  the  close  of  the 
season. 

What  are  your  associations  doing  in  these  activities?  We  think 
there  is  variety  enough  under  these  seven  headings  to  make  our  organ- 
ization the  most  interesting  in  the  Church  for  the  young  men.  By 
organizing  membership  committees  and  putting  them  to  work,  the 
boy  may  be  enrolled  in  the  Mutual  so  that  he  may  take  advantage  of 
these  specific  activities  provided  in  your  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 

The  first  step  necessary  is  to  appoint  a  lively  membership  com- 
mittee in  each  stake,  then  in  each  ward  association.  These  committees 
may  consist  of  one,  two,  or  three  men  who  are  specially  fitted  and 
qualified  by  experience  to  do  the  necessary  work  among  the  young 
men.  The  officers  of  the  stake  should  fix  their  responsibilities,  and 
define  their  duties.  The  committees  should  then  be  set  to  work,  and 
their  work  should  be  checked  up  at  zveekly  meetings,  by  the  stake  and 
association  officers.  Specific  reports  should  be  made  of  their  labors 
and  of  the  conditions  which  they  meet. 

The  work  should  be  done  with  system  and  in  earnestness.  First, 
all  eligible  members  in  the  ward  above   14  years   of  age   should   be 


MUTUAL  WORK  391 

solicited,  and  listed  by  the  committee,  on  their  promising  to  become 
members.  This  list  will  be  the  permanent  roll  of  the  association. 
Having  thus  prepared  the  permanent  roll,. the  active  roll  will  consist 
of  those  who  attend  one  or  more  meetings  during  the  season,  and  the 
missionary  work  should  be  done  among  those  on  the  permanent  roll, 
and  among  others  who  have  not  attended  the  association,  and  also, 
of  course,  among  those  who  are  delinquent  in  the  active  roll. 

To  keep  a  record  of  the  work,  the  card  system  may  be  adopted. 
By  this  a  history  of  each  individual  may  be  kept,  and  a  record  of  the 
work. accomplished  with  and  by  him  may  be  made. 

The  membership  committee  should  labor  personally  with  each 
young  man,  for  this  missionary  work  is  necessarily  individual.  The 
members  of  the  committee  should  study  the  nature  of  the  boy  and 
his  companions.  They  should  enlist  the  services  of  the  bishop,  the 
M.  I.  A.  officers,  parents,  and  ward  teachers,  and  should  be  in  close 
touch  with  the  class  leaders  and  the  directors  of  the  various  activities 
of  the  association,  such  as  the  social  work,  the  debates,  the  orations, 
the  story-telling,  athletics,  boy  scouts,  etc.  Members  of  the  com- 
mittee should  not  only  attend  the  study-class,  but  the  social  functions, 
the  class  parties,  skating  parties,  sleigh-riding  parties,  and  other  func- 
tions, so  that  they  may  be  made  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  social 
conditions  and  intellectual  activities  of  the  organization  and  the  boys. 

It  is  not  too  late  to  begin  this  work  this  season.  If  these  com- 
mittees are  organized,  set  to  work  now,  and  properly  checked  up  by 
the  officers  of  the  associations,  at  their  weekly  meetings,  it  will  be  a 
good  beginning  for  the  fall  campaign  for  membership. 

It  is  particularly  desired  that  the  officers  of  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 
shall  make  a  specialty  of  this  membership  committee  work  early  next 
season,  say  early  in  October,  so  as  to  start  the  organization  with  a 
full  membership;  and  then,  of  course,  put  forth  continued  effort  to 
enroll  such  eligible  young  men  as  have  not  been  induced  to  join  in 
the  early  part  of  the  season. 

In  a  number  of  wards  that  have  tried  this  system,  the  membership 
has  been  increased  all  the  way  from  25  to  75  and  100  per  cent,  and 
we  believe  that  this  can  be  done  in  nearly  every  organization  in  the 
Church.  Instead  of  having  eight  members  in  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  out 
of  every  100  Church  members  in  the  ward,  we  should  make  the  average 
in  the  Church  at  least  15  per  cent,  which  is  still  below  the  average  of 
our  best  associations. 

Let  the  officers  of  each  stake  and  ward  consider  their  annual 
reports  and  ascertain  whether  or  not  the  per  cent  that  ought  to  be 
enrolled  in  their  stakes  and  wards  are  active  members  in  the  Mutual 
Improvement  Association.  At  least  10  per  cent  of  the  Church  popu- 
lation should  be  actively  engaged  in  Mutual  Improvement  Work,  and 
this  should  be  the  standard  for  the  coming  season  that  the  officers  of 
the  stakes  and  wards  should  work  to. 


392  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

"Get  the  boy  into  the  association,  and  make  it  worth   while  for 
him  to  stay  there,"  is  the  slogan  we  should  adopt. 
Your  brethren, 

Committee  on  Stake  Work  of  General  Board  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 

By  Heber  J.  Grant,  Chairman. 


February  Class  in  Athletics 


On  Monday,  February  10,  the  second  M.  I.  A.  Normal  Training 
Course  for  this  season  will  be  opened  at  the  Deseret  Gymnasium^nd 
will  continue  for  four  weeks.  This  will  permit  the  young  men 
to  return  home  in  time  for  the  spring  plowing.  While  it  is  desirable 
that  young  men  be  called  to  take  this  course  who  have  sufficient 
education  and  ability  to  become  leaders,  it  is  assmned  that  most 
men  of  this  type  are  so  engaged  in  business  and  professional 
duties  that  they  could  take  the  work  only  at  a  great  sacrifice. 
It  is,  therefore,  considered  wise  to  open  this  course  to  young  men  who 
may  not  be  identified  with  Mutual  work,  and  who  may  now  be  spending 
their  time  to  very  little  purpose  at  home.  These  men  would  be  im- 
measurably benefited  by  taking  this  course,  and  in  many  instances 
would  develop  into  successful  leaders  and  trainers.  The  nature  of  the 
work  is  such  that  it  becomes  fascinating  to  boys  who  ofttimes  find 
little  or  no  interest  in  other  activities.  Many  young  men  are  neither 
able  nor  qualified  to  go  on  foreign  missions,  but  could  and  would,  if 
they  were  called,  take  this  course,  and  we  are  safe  in  saying  that  no 
other  brief  mission  would  be  of  greater  benefit  to  them.  It  is  sug- 
gested that  at  least  one  or  more  young  men  in  each  ward  be  called  to 
take  this  work  at  his  own  expense.  Instructions  in  field  and  track 
events,  scout  work,  swimming,  games  and  dancing,  will  be  given.  The 
work  is  all  given  by  experienced  teachers,  who  are  experts  in  their 
lines.  The  classes  meet  five  hours  each  day.  The  expense  for  board, 
tuition,  books,  gymnasium  suit,  etc.,  need  not  exceed  $35. 


Bountiful  Scout  Banquet 


On  December  13,  1912,  the  Bountiful  M.  I.  A.  Scouts  gave  their 
first  annual  banquet  under  the  direction  of  L.  D.  Briggs,  the  scout 
leader.  Thirty-two  boys  made  up  the  troop.  The  affair  was  given  in 
honor  of  the  boys'  parents,  all  of  whom  were  present.  The  program 
of  toasts  was  the  following,  L.  F.  Muir  acting  as  toastmaster:  "What 
the  Boy  Scouts  Can  Do  for  Bountiful,"  Mayor  Charles  R.  Mabey; 
"The  Clean  Young  Man,"  John  R.  Rampton;  "The  Cold- Water  Cure," 
President  Joseph  H.  Grant;  "The  Boy  as  the  Future  Business  Man," 
Richard  Stringham;  "The  Man  and  the  Maid,"  Apostle  Heber  J.  Grant; 


MUTUAL  WORK 


393 


"The  Relation  of  Scout  and  Parent,"  John  H.  Taylor;  "The  Boy  on 
the  Farm,"  Prof.  Lewis;  'The  Athletic  Young  Man,"  E.  Conway  Ash- 
ton;  "The  Country  Boy,"  Prof.  W.  M.  Stewart;  "Pioneer  Trails  in  Salt 
Lake  Valley,"  Brigham  H.  Roberts.  During  the  serving  of  refresh- 
ments and  between  the  toasts,  the  Scout  band  and  the  Scout  chorus 
rendered  several  musical  selections. 


The  Third  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  Normal  Training  Class 

Commenced  November  25,  1912,  and  closed  December  20.  The 
Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.  course  was  given  at  the  same  time,  and  was  under  the 
direction  of  Miss  Anna  Nebeker,  physical  director  of  women  at  the 
Deseret  Gymnasium.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  a  luncheon  was 
tendered  to  the  classes  by  the  General  Boards  of  the  two  associations. 


Front  row,  left  to  right:  Fern  Chipman,  American  Fork,  Alpine 
stake;  Myrtle  Dalrymple,  Montpelier,  Bear  Lake  stake;  Harvey  Young, 
Fruitland,  Young  stake;  Nellie  Howson,  Nephi,  Juab  stake;  Anna 
Huisser,  Weston,  Oneida  stake;  Lucretis  Lyman,  Grayson,  San  Juan 
stake-  Belle  Stringham,  Bountiful,  Davis  stake.  Back  row:  Robert 
Richardson,  instructor;  Dr.  John  H.  Taylor,  M.  I.  A.  scout  director; 
Clarence  A.  Oldroyd,  Fountain  Green,  South  Sanpete  stake;  John  Col- 
lins Paris,  Bear  Lake  stake;  Arthur  Cahoon,  Deseret,  Deseret  stake; 
Norman  S.  Felsted,  Thomas,  Blackfoot  stake;  Willard  Chnstensen, 
Oak  City,  Deseret  stake;  Henry  Voyce,  Oakley,  Cassia  stake;  Benja- 
min Harker,  instructor;  William  E.  Day,  physical  director  Deseret 
Gymnasium.  Besides  these,  three  others  attended  the  class,  viz.,  F.  J. 
Nye,  Albion,  Cassia  stake;  Elmer  Wheeler,  Kimball,  Alta.,  Canada; 
and  Sylva  Lovell,  Oak  Creek,  Deseret  stake,  Utah. 


By  Faith  We   Stand.-"Happily  by    faith    we    stand    under   many 
things  we  do  not  understand."-George  H.  Brimhall. 


Church  School  Department 


The  Purpose  cf  Founder's  Day. — This  paper  was  read  at  the  cele- 
bration of  Founders'  day  at  the  'Oneida  Stake  Academy,  by  H.  R. 
Merrill: 

We  are  met  here  today  to  celebrate  the  birthday  of  our  beloved 
institution,  which  has  successfully  baltled  the  storms  and  the  hardships 
of  twenty-five  long  years,  and  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  him  who 
brought  it  into  being.  It  has  been  a  custom  with  man  since  very 
early  days  to  commemorate  deeds  of  importance  by  means  of  appro- 
priate celebrations.  This  procedure  seems  to  have  received  divine 
favor,  for,  in  the  day  when  Israel  was  delivered  from  the  hands  of  the 
destroyer,  while  yet  they  sojourned  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  the  Lord 
himself  instituted  a  yearly  celebration  which  was  called  the  Pass- 
over, by  means  of  which  that  act  of  Divine  Providence  was  kept  con- 
tinuously before  the  minds  of  the  people.  Since  that  time  the  Israel- 
ites have  preserved  that  time-honored  tradition  which  has  come  down 
to  our  day  as  one  of  their  most  important  sacraments. 

Nearly  all  nations  have  a  thanksgiving  time.  The  ancient  Hebrews 
called  their  celebration  Pentecost,  and  upon  that  day  the  people  would 
assemble  and  give  thanks  unto  God  for  his  great  and  good  gifts;  for 
the  bounteous  harvests  and  the  health  and  comfort  of  his  people.  Our 
nation  has  many  such  yearly  celebrations;  our  Church  has  others,  but 
the  Oneida  stake  has  one  also.  Our  traditions,  our  sacred  memories, 
cling  about  this  one  day — Founder's  Day!  This  is  our  Pentecost,  our 
thanksgiving  time.  We  are  met  here,  not  altogether  to  thank  the 
Great  Giver  for  a  harvest  of  wheat  or  of  hay,  but  for  the  conditions 
which  make  possible  a  great  and  bounteous  harvest  of  bright,  intelli- 
gent souls!  We  are  here  to  thank  him  because  twenty-five  years  ago, 
while  yet  this  fair  plain  was  barren;  while  Preston  was  but  a  garden 
spot  in  a  wilderness  of  sage,  he  moved  upon  a  noble  leader  of  our 
Church,  and  lo,  this  beloved  institution  was  born.  This  monument 
was  set  up  in  a  desert  place  around  which  our  people  might  rally  to 
the  call  of  education.  The  influence  that  such  an  institution  has  in  a 
community  is  sometimes  overlooked  by  the  careless  or  the  unthinking, 
but  never  by  the  trained  student  of  humanity.  A  seminary  of  learning 
is  as  a  light  set  upon  a  hill.  It  sheds  its  radiance  upon  all  who  are  afar 
off;  its  celestial  rays  penetrate  to  the  darkest  depths  of  the  human 
heart.  As  the  puny  flowed  of  the  shaded  canyon  lift  their  heads  to 
the  light  of  the  sun,  so,  unconsciously,  do  individuals  respond  to  the 
genial  rays  which  proceed  from  it,  and  their  souls  are  lifted  up;  their 
aims  are  raised;  their  aspirations  are  heightened,  and  many  become 
masters  of  their  own  lives.     History  bears  me  out  in  this  statement. 


CHURCH  SCHOOL  DEPARTMENT  395 

Nearly  three  hundred  years  ago,  away  back  in  1636,  those  brave  Puri- 
tan forefathers  of  ours,  realizing  what  education  meant  to  a  people, 
caused  their  general  court  to  vote  four  hundred  pounds  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  a  college  at  Newton.  Two  years  later  John  Har- 
vard gave  his  large  and  valuable  library,  and  donated  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  to  the  new  institution  which  took  his  name  and  be- 
came one  of  the  very  greatest  of  our  educational  shrines.  Harvard 
University  will  stand  as  a  glorious  monument  to  his  name  as  long  as 
time  shall  last. 

Now  let  us  see  what  that  Founder's  Day  meant  to  Boston  and 
New  England.  Let  us  see  if  all  that  work  was  worth  while;  if  the 
college  was  a  light  set  upon  a  hill;  if  she  did  raise  the  aims  of  her 
devoted  subjects.  Of  course,  an  affirmative  reply  is  already  found  in 
every  mind  present  here  today,  because  ever  since  our  district  school 
days,  we  have  heard  Boston  spoken  of  as  the  Athens  of  America,  the 
hub,  the  center  of  culture.  The  seeds  of  her  power  were  planted  at 
Newton,  which  has  since  become  Cambridge,  upon  that  great  day  in 
1636.  In  later  years  the  light  which  had  been  kindled  and  which  had 
been  kept  aglow  by  John  Harvard,  drew  from  the  rocky  soil  of  New 
England  to  dizzy  heights  of  fame,  a  number  of  boys  who  became  the 
most  brilliant  men  in  our  nation's  history.  Whittier,  Longfellow, 
Lowell,  Emerson,  Holmes,  Grey,  Adams  and  a  Host  of  others  were 
moved  upon  by  the  spirit  of  that  great  seminary,  and  as  a  result  they 
have  shed  light  unto  the  whole  world  by  means  of  their  immortal 
writings,  and  the  end  is  not  yet.  What  is  true  of  Harvard  is  true  of 
other  large  universities,  and  of  secondary  schools,  to  a  lesser  degree, 
of  course.  Since  very  early  times  empire  has  set  her  face  toward  the 
Occident;  her  course  is  toward  the  setting  sun,  conesquently  the  cen- 
ters of  learning  are  gradually  moving  westward.  One  hundred  years 
ago  the  great  city  of  Chicago  was  but  a  frontier  fort,  but  she  grew  in 
importance  until  the  seeds  of  another  great  university  were  planted 
there  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  where  they  were  carfully  nour- 
ished, until  today  the  University  of  Chicago  is  taking  her  place  among 
the  foremost  schools  of  our  land,  and  here  again  the  refining,  elevating 
influence  of  culture  is  felt.  Young  men  and  young  women  by  the 
thousands  are  going  up  to  that  institution  every  year  to  drink  from 
the  fountains  of  knowledge. 

From  the  Oneida  Stake  Academy,  with  her  two  hundred  students, 
to  Harvard  with  her  thousands,  may  seem  a  long  step,  but  American 
life  abounds  in  such  paradoxes — it  is  a  big  step  from  a  log  cabin  to 
the  White  House;  from  rail  splitter  to  president.  All  great  men  com- 
mence life  in  the  cradle;  most  institutions  grow  from  small  begin- 
nings, but  the  heights  to  which  the  man  shall  attain  are  determined 
only  by  his  own  potential  powers;  the  institution  has  no  limits  of 
growth. 

This  Academy  is  small,  but  has  sprung  from  selected  seeds,  culti- 


396  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

vated  by  the  most  careful  and  prayerful  thought  of  the  worthy  pio- 
neers of  this  section,  therefore,  its  power  of  evolution  is  infinite.  Even 
now,  from  her  ever-burning  taper  small  candles  have  been,  and  others 
may  yet  be,  lighted,  whose  flames  may  become  so  brilliant  that  the 
whole  world  may  be  illuminated.  The  purpose  of  this  celebration, 
then,  is  the  perpetuation  of  the  name  of  President  John  Taylor,  who, 
through  inspiration  from  on  high,  brought  this  institution  into  being. 
We  meet  once  a  year  to  do  honor  to  his  sacred  memory,  and  to  the 
memories  of  all  the  honest  souls  who  contributed  their  hard-earned 
means  toward  the  erection  of  this  building,  and  to  tender  our  loyal 
support  to  this  our  school. 

We  believe  that  this  course  is  right,  since  this  institution  has  done 
as  much  toward  the  uplifting  of  our  people  as  any  other  influence 
which  has  been  at  work  in  our  community;  it  has  done  more  toward 
planting  in  the  hearts  of  young  women  and  young  men  a  desire  to  be 
somebody  than  any  other  institution  outside  of  the  home.  It  has  dis- 
couraged the  scrubs.  It  has  set  up  a  standard  of  excellence  which  will 
help  to  draw  every  individual  of  our  community  up  to  its  own  level. 
It  is  shaping,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  ideals  and  the  characters  of  every 
boy  and  every  girl  of  this  stake,  whether  they  ever  enter  these  portals 
or  not.     Founder's  Day  is,  therefore,  the  day  of  days  unto  us! 

The  business  men  of  our  city  today  are  paying  a  beautiful  tribute 
to  our  institution  and  to  the  memory  of  its  noble  founder,  by  closing 
their  shops.  We  believe  that  they  can  well  afford  to  do  so,  to  gather 
here  and  draw  from  the  spirit  of  this  institution  and  these  exercises 
new  strength  and  desires  to  aid  them  in  their  future  lives.  It  is  upon 
such  occasions  as  these  that  we  gain  the  power  to  hear  the  songs 
which  are  always  to  be  heard  somewhere,  if  the  heart  be  perfectly  at- 
tuned: 

There  is  ever  a  song  somewhere,  my  dear; 

There  is  ever  a  something  sings  alway: 
There's  the  song  of  the  lark  when  the  skies  are  clear, 

And  the  song  of  the  thrush  when  the  sky  is  gray. 
The  sunshine  showers  across  the  grain. 

And  the  blue-bird  trills  in  the  orchard  tree; 
And  in  and  out,  when  the  eaves  drip  rain, 

The  swallows  are  twittering  ceaselessly. 

There  is  ever  a  song  somewhere,  my  dear,. 

Be  the  skies  above  or  dark  or  fair, 
There  is  ever  a  song  that  our  hearts  may  hear — ■ 
There  is  ever  a  song  somewhere,  my  dear — 

There  is  ever  a  song,  somewhere! 

There  is  ever  a  song  somewhere,  my  dear. 

In  the  midnight  black,  or  the  mid-day  blue; 
The  robin  pipes  when  the  sun  is  here, 

And  the'  cricket  chirrups  the  whole  night  through; 
The  buds  may  blow,  and  the  fruit  may  grow, 

And  the  autumn  leaves  drop  crisp  and  sear; 
But  whether  the  sun,  or  the  rain,  or  the  snow, 

There  is  ever  a  son, a:  somewhere,  my  dear! 


CHURCH  SCHOOL  DEPARTMENT  397 

There  is  ever  a  song  somewhere,  my  dear, 

Be  the  skies  above  or  dark  or  fair, 
There  is  ever  a  song  that  our  hearts  may  hear — 

There  is  ever  a  song  somewhere,  my  dear! 

— James  Whitcomb  Riley. 

Dr.  George  H.  Brimhall  was  sixty  years  of  age,  on  December  9, 
last.  The  College  Club  Committee,  of  the  Brigham  Young  Univer- 
sity congratulated  him  thus: 

"Sixty  years!  Sixty  years  of  actual  time,  but  more  than  a  century 
of  real  life,  if  measured  by  the  poet's  standard,— heart-throbs.  A  life 
of  devotion  to  God  and  your  fellow  men.  A  life  of  intense  love  and 
keen  suffering.  An  illustrious  examole  of  social  efficiency.  An  inspira- 
tion to  thousands. 

On  your  sixtieth  birthday  we  extend  to  you  our  heartiest  greetings. 
Accept  our  endorsement  of  your  noble  life,  and  our  sincere  wishes  that 
it  may  yet  be  lengthened  many  years.  May  you  continue  to  enjoy 
health,  peace,  the  confidence  of  your  fellow  man,  and  the  approval  of 
your  God. 

Sincerely, 

The  College  Club, 
By   the    Executive    Committee:    Charles    Schwenche,   John    G.    Gubler, 
Glenn  Johnson,  A.  L.  Kelley,  Pearl  Romney. 

Thousands  of  his  students  and  other  friends  in  this  inter-mountain 
country  will  join  with  the  Era  in  endorsing  the  sentiments  contained 
in  the  above  note  and  join  with  us  in  wishing  Dr.  Brimhall  many  years 
yet  of  a  useful  and  happy  life. 

Elder  Brimhall  writes  as  a  reply  to  the  good  wishes  of  his  friends: 

"I  doubly  appreciate  the  sentiment  expressed  in  the  greeting. 
First,  because  of  the  approval  of  my  efforts,  but  more  because  of  the 
mercies  and  direct  support  of  my  Father  in  heaven,  in  giving  me 
health  and  strength  to  do  what  little  I  have  done  in  the  last  decade. 
Ten  years  ago  my  birthday  found  me  an  invalid  with  no  hope,  from 
a  human  point  of  view,  of  ever  working  again,  except  as  a  health 
hunter.  I  was  then  in  California  on  that  business,  an  object  of  great 
anxiety  and  trouble  to  myself  and  friends.  Intellectual  calculations  held 
out  no  hope,  but  faith,  or  spirituality,  gave  me  the  assurance  that  I 
would  work  again.  In  the  light  of  science  I  was  sentenced  to  the 
"scrap  pile;"  in  the  warmth  of  the  spirit  of  prophecy  I  was  promised 
a  place  in  the  field  of  service.  During  nine  and  one-half  years  of  the 
last  decade,  my  ability  to  work  has  been  a  progressive  fulfilment  of 
promises  made  me  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  by  Elders  Owen  Wood- 
ruff, John  W.  Taylor,  J.  Golden  Kimball  and  Joseph  E.  Taylor.  I  have 
but  one  object  in  referring  to  the  matter,  in  any  way,  and  that  is  the 
increase  of  faith  in  the  promises  of  the  Lord  made  through  the  priest- 
hood. My  new  lease  of  active  life  has  been  a  period  of  greater  fulness 
and  more  exquisite  sweetness  than  that  of  any  other.  In  the  face  of 
the  pitying  glances  and  discouraging  consolations  of  my  friends.  I 
knew  that  my  Redeemer  lived,  as  well  as  I  know  now  in  this  hour  of 
prosperity  and  encouragement,  that  he  lives.  If  I  keep  the  faith  I  shall 
be  redeemed  from  death  as  certainly  as  I  was  redeemed  from  that 
condition  of  physical  illness. 

G.  H.  Brimhall. 


Passing  Events 


The  Utah  State  Legislature,  tenth  session,  convened  on  Monday 
noon,  January  13,  1913.  Senator  Henry  Gardner,  of  Spanish  Fork, 
Utah  county,  was  elected  president  of  the  Senate,  and  Representative 
W.  J.  Seeley,  of  Emery  county,  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House. 

Utah  Stands  High  in  Educational  Circles.  As  an  illustration  of 
this  fact,  it  may  be  stated  that  five  graduates  of  the  Utah  Agricultural 
College,  during  one  week  in  January,  received  federal  appointments 
from  the  Argentine  republic,  South  America,  as  agricultural,  experts, 
at  salaries  of  $2,000  per  year,  with  expenses,  travel,  board  and  room, 
paid. 

The  greatest  average  of  ward  teaching.  From  the  report  for  the 
three  months  ending  September  30,  recently  compiled  in  the  Presiding 
Bishop's  office,  it  appears  that  the  greatest  average  of  families  visited 
were  in  the  stakes  named  in  the  following  order:  Ogden,  Bear  River, 
Union,  Moapa,  and  North  Weber.  These  five  stakes  stood  at  the 
head  of  the  list. 

Raymond  Nicholas  Landry  Poincare,  for  the  last  twelve  months 
premier  of  the  French  cabinet,  was  elected  president  of  the  republic  of 
France,  on  January  17,  at  Versailles,  by  the  national  assembly,  in  suc- 
cession to  President  Armand  Fallieres,  whose  seven-year  term  expires 
February  18.  The  choice  was  on  the  second  ballot,  and  the  premier 
received,  out  of  859  ballots,  53  more  than  absolute  majority. 

The  Parcel-Post  is  a  success.  The  Bureau  of  Engraving  has  had 
lo  increase  its  daily  output  of  parcel-post  stamps  from  5,000,000  a  day 
to  10,000,000  a  day  to  meet  the  unexpected  demand.  During  the  first 
four  days  of  the  new  service  more  than  200,000  parcels  were  mailed  in 
New  York  City.  From  other  centers  come  similar  reports,  testifying 
to  Uncle  Sam's  popularity  as  a  delivery  man. 

Ground  was  Broken  for  the  Utah  State  Capitol  on  the  26th  day  of 
December,  1912,  when  the  first  shovel  full  of  earth  in  the  excavations 
for  the  capitol  building  was  turned  under  direction  of  the  Capitol  com- 
mission. Governor  William  Spry  spoke  at  the  ground-breaking  cere- 
mony, in  the  presence  of  about  two  hundred  persons,  among  them 
being  most  of  the  state  officials.  Mayor  Samuel  C.  Park  of  Salt  Lake 
City  also  gave  an  address. 

An  M.  I.  A.  Scout  convention  was  held  at  Provo  on  Saturday,  the 


PASSING  EVENTS  •  399 

12th  of  October,  at  which  members  and  officers  from  Provo,  Spring- 
ville,  Mapleton,  Lakeview,  Pleasant  View,  and  Vineyard  participated. 
The  object  of  the  meeting  was  to  organize  the  M.  I.  A.  Boy  Scouts 
in  Utah  Stake,  and  the  convention  was  attended  by  Dr.  John  H. 
Taylor  of  the  General  Board,  and  by  Eugene  Roberts  of  Provo.  The 
old  tabernacle  in  Provo  has  been  remodeled  and  is  now  used  for 
scout  drill-rooms  and  other  althletic  activities. 

Elder  Albert  Clecn  Burt,  of  Brigham  City,  Utah,  who,  for  the 
past  thirteen  months  had  been  laboring  in  the  New  Zealand  mission, 
died  at  Auckland,  January  8,  1913,  according  to  a  dispatch  to  the  First 
Presidency.  Death  was  caused  by  typhoid  fever.  Elder  Burt  was  the 
son  of  Albert  and  Leonora  Nelson  Burt,  of  Bear  River  City.  He  was 
born  at  Brigham  City,  September  17,  1890,  and  was  set  apart  for  his 
mission  December  21,  1911.  The  body  left  Auckland  January  17,  on 
its  way  home  for  interment.  Elder  Burt  was  a  faithful  laborer  in  the 
mission  field. 

The  Ocean  to  Ocean  Highway  Organization,  established  for  the 
purpose  of  building  an  automobile  highway  from  coast  to  coast,  is 
making  progress  in  obtaining  means  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
purpose.  Recently  the  Packard  Motor  Car  company  decided  to  con- 
tribute $150,000,  and  the  association  has  received  a  number  of  smaller 
individual  contributions.  Organizations  are  being  formed  along  the 
different  proposed  routes,  and  these  various  organizations  will  present 
their  claims  for  the  route,  through  their  sections,  to  the  permanent 
committee,  when  the  time  arrives. 

Whitelaw  Reid,  United  States  ambassador  to  Great  Britain,  died 
in  London,  December  15,  1912.  He  was  born  at  Xenia,  Ohio,  in  1837, 
graduated  from  Miami  university  in  1856,  became  a  newspaper  editor 
in  1858, 'joined  the  staff  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  in  1868,  became 
editor-in-chief  in  1872,  and  retired  from  active  control  of  the  Tribune, 
in  1905,  when  he  was  made  ambassador  to  Great  Britain.  Previous  to 
that  time  he  had  been  minister  to  France,  from  1889  to  1892,  and  he 
was  the  Republican  candidate  for  the  vice-presidency  in  1892.  Presi- 
dent Taft  has  decid'ed  not  to  appoint  any  successor. 

Contempt  of  Court.  The  courts  of  Idaho  decided  during  the 
recent  presidential  canvass  that  the  names  of  the  Progressive  electors 
could  not  legally  be  printed  on  the  ballots.  Mr.  Roosevelt  denounced 
this  decision  and  his  words  were  printed  in  the  Capital  News-  of  Boise. 
The  managing  editor  of  the  paper,  Mr.  C.  O.  Brixon,  and  the  publisher, 
Mr.  R.  S.  Sheridan,  were  charged  with  contempt  of  court  for  printing 
and  commenting  on  Mr.  Roosevelt's  criticism  of  the  state  judiciary, 
and  on  January  2nd  they  were  found  guilty  and  sentenced  to  spend  ten 
days  in  jail  and  pay  $500  each. 


400  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

Robert  W.  Archibald,  of  Scranton,  Pa.,  for  twenty-nine  years  an 
occupant  of  judicial  positions  of  the  Pennsylvania  state  bench,  the 
federal  district  bench,  and  the  United  States  Commerce  Court,  was 
adjudged  guilty,  January  13,  by  the  United  States  Senate,  of  "high 
crimes  and  misdemeanors."  He  was  stripped  of  his  office  and  forever 
disqualified  from  holding  positions  of  public  honor  and  of  public  trust. 
The  impeachment  trial  had  been  pending  in  the  Senate  since  last  sum- 
mer. He  was  charged  with. misconduct  as  a  judge,  and  with  corruptly 
using  his  judicial  power  to  acquire  coal  properties  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  Snow  Academy  at  Ephraim  celebrated  its  twenty-fourth  anni- 
versary on  November  5.  Four  hundred  students  and  teachers,  with 
banners,  marched  through  the  city,  headed  by  the  Academy  band.  At 
ten  o'clock,  in  the  assembly  hall,  there  was  a  literary  program  with 
songs  and  speeches.  Among  those  who  addressed  the  students  were 
President  Anthon  H.  Lund,  Elders  Rulon  S.  Wells,  and  C.  N.  Lund, 
president  of  the  stake.  An  elaborate  banquet  was  later  served  in  the 
domestic  science  department  under  the  supervision  of  Miss  Bolton.  In 
the  afternoon  a  track  meet  was  held,  and  a  dance  in  the  gymnasium 
in  the  evening  closed  the  day's  festivities. 

School  in  Tucson. — Mrs.  L.  Paul  Cordon  has  opened  a  school  for 
the  children  of  the  Mexican  refugees,  fifty  in  number,  who  have  set- 
tled near  Tucson,  Arizona.  The  district  school  buildings  in  the  place 
were  unable  to  accommodate  the  children,  but  have  done  what  they 
could  to  help  in  their  education  by  providing  a  separate  building  to 
accommodate  the  children.  Recently  the  board  of  education  of  the 
Church  Schools  granted  a  small  appropriation  to  aid  in  meeting  the 
expenses  of  this  school.  Several  of  the  publishing  houses  who  had 
been  supplying  the  Church  schools  in  Mexico  with  books,  among  them 
Ginn  &  Company,  have  remitted  their  bills,  showing  a  commendable 
desire  to  aid  the  unfortunates  who  have  been  driven  from  their 
homes. 

The  Great  Assuan  Dam  over  the  Nile,  350  miles  from  Cairo, 
Egypt,  completed  some  ten  years  ago,  at  a  cost  of  $7,500,000,  has  re- 
cently had  added  to  its  130  feet  of  height,  26  additional  feet  of  ma- 
sonry, making  the  barrier  to  the  waters  of  the  Nile  about  the  same 
height  as  Niagara  Falls,  and  increasing  the  capacity  of  the  reservoir 
about  two  and  a  half  times,  thus  enabling  the  Egyptian  government 
to  irrigate  an  additional  1,000,000  acres  of  desert  land,  and  so  to  make 
it  bloss'om  as  the  rose.  The  climate  of  the  Nile  permits  two  or  three 
crops  a  year,  and  with  this  additional  water  ldcility  the  future  of  this 
historic  land,  agriculturally,  will  undoubtedly  surpass  its  past,  of  2,000 
or  more  years  ago,  when  Egypt  was  the  granary  of  the  world.  The 
only  drawback  to  the  new  arrangement  is  the  destruction  of  the  won- 
derful  ruins   of  Philae,   since   that   island  is   now  entirely   submerged, 


PASSING  EVENTS  •  401 

and  its  wonderful  ruins  hidden  from  view  forever.  So"  do  great  en- 
terprises and  utility  take  precedence  over  love  for  antiquity  and  art, 
in  our  practical  day. 

The  Balkan  War  Peace  Congress  made  some  little  progress  dur- 
ing December.  On  January  6  the  first  stage  of  the  negotiations  for 
peace  came  to  an  end  in  London.  The  Balkan  representatives  refused 
to  accept  the  terms  offered  by  Turkey.  The  conference  adjourned 
without  fixing  a  date  for  resuming  its  meetings,  and  the  ambassadors 
of  the  powers  in  London  began  at  once  to  bring  pressure  upon  Turkey 
to  the  end  that  it  should  yield  to.the  demand  of  the  allies.  The  Porte 
decided  on  January  19  to  call  a  national  assembly  to  take  under  ad- 
visement the  Balkan  situation  which  probably  heralds  further  conces- 
sions on  the  part  of  Turkey,  which  country  has  already  agreed  to 
withdraw  all  claim  to  Crete  and  Macedonia,  but  insists  on  retaining 
Adrianople  and  also  the  Aegian  islands,  and  that  Albania  shall  be 
autonomous.  In  case  Turkey's  answer  is  unsatisfactory,  the  allies,  in 
deference  to  Europe,  will  ask  the  powers  whether  they  have  means 
to  compel  Turkey  to  comply  with  their  wishes.  If  not,  it  appears  at 
this  writing  that  the  allies  will  resume  war. 

The   Farmers   Round   Up   and   Housekeepers'   Conference   of   the 

Agricultural  College  of  Utah  occurs  in  Logan  January  27th  to  Feb- 
ruary 8th,  and  in  Richfield  February  13th  to  February  22nd.  The 
program  is  full  of  merit  all  the  way  through.  Special  features  are 
made  of  irrigation,  better  wheat,  sugar  beets,  garden  crops,  alfalfa, 
good  roads,  and  the  important  question  of  rural  credit.  In  Logan 
there  will  be  a  machinery  demonstration  where  elecfric  and  gasoline 
devices  for  farm  and  home  will  be  shown.  A  cheap  pump,  in  opera- 
tion, delivering  water  to  three  floors,  and  costing  about  $150,  and  for 
operation  less  than  $1.50  a  month,  is  among  the  display.  Special  ses- 
sessions  will  be  devoted  to  marketing,  a  very  acute  problem  in  our 
state  at  the  present  time.  The  second  week  will  be  devoted  entirely 
to  the  consideration  of  animal  industry,  including  livestock,  wool 
growing,  dairying,  pasturing,  and  breeding,  including  horses  and 
swine.  Reduced  rates  are  announced  over  all  the  Utah  and  the  south- 
ern Idaho  railroads.  The  conferences  promise  to  excel  anything  sim- 
ilar in  the  history  of  the  college,  and  doubtless  will  demonstrate  the 
idea  of  farm  and  industrial  life  better  than  ever. 

The  Dynamite  Conspiracy  Trial  came  to  an  end  at  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,  Dec.  28,  1912,  when  thirty-three  of  the  convicted  men  were 
sentenced  to  terms  of  imprisonment  ranging  from  one  to  six  years,  in 
the  federal  penitentiary,  and  sent  to  prison  on  the  29th.  Five  were  let 
off  on  suspended  sentences,  and  two  were  acquitted.  All  these  were 
among  the  fifty-four  labor  leaders,  nearly  all  connected  with  the  Inter- 
national Association  of  Bridge  and  Structural  Iron  Workers,  who"  were 
arrested  as  a  consequence  of  the  McNamara  case    in    Los    Angeles. 


402  '  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

They  were  indicted  last  spring  for  conspiracy  and  violating  the  laws 
of  the  United  States,  and  for  illegally  transporting  explosives.  Among 
those  arrested  is  J.  E.  Munsey,  once  head  of  the  organization  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  who  was  sentenced  to  six  years'  imprisonment.  The  trial 
was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  history  of  the  United  States,  in 
the  number  of  defendants,  the  character  of  the  charges,  the  work  in 
collecting  evidence  and  making  arrests,  and  the  hundreds  of  witnesses 
examined,  together  with  the  cost  of  the  trial,  which  is  estimated  to  be 
upward  of  a  million  dollars.  That  justice  was  done  at  Indianapolis  is 
the  opinion  of  most  newspapers,  and  will  be  the  general  sentiment  of 
most  of  the  American  people.  On  January  2,  writs  of  error  were 
obtained  by  all  the  men  sentenced  in  the  dynamite  case,  except  H.  S. 
Hockin,  preparatory  to  a  test  in  the  United  States  Court  of  Appeals, 
on  the  legality  of  the  verdict. 

Report  of  New  Wards,  Changes  in  Bishops,  Etc.,  for  the  month  of 
December,  1912,  as  reported  by  the  Presiding  Bishop's  office: 

New  Wards — Vermilion  ward,  Sevier  stake,  witn  John  Ivo  Gledhill  bisho^-  address, 
Vermilion,  Utah.  Tooele  ward,  Tooele  stake;  disorganized.  Tooele  North  ward,  Too- 
ele stake,  with  Jos.  C.  Orme,  bishop,  and  George  L.  Tate,  ward  clerk;  address,  same. 
Tooele  South  ward,  Tooele  stake,  with  Edward  M.  Atkin,  bishop,  and  Peter  V.  Clegg, 
ward  clerk;  address,  same.  Mural  ward,  Duchesne  stake,  with  John  A.  Angus,  bishop; 
address,  Lake  Fork,  Utah. 

Counselor  to  President  of  Stake.-  John  U.  Stucki,  second  counselor  to  Joseph  R. 
Shepherd,  president  of  Bear  Lake  stake;   address,   Paris,  Idaho. 

New  Stake  Clerks — H.  Ray  Pixton,  Moapa  stake,  to  succeed  I.  E.  Turnbauch; 
address,  Overton,  Nevada.  D.  Wm.  James,  Jr.,  Ensign  stake,  to  succeed  Wm.  A. 
Shepherd;  address,  519  C  street,  Salt  Lake  City. 

New  Bishops — Mapleton  ward,  Oneida  stake,  Jos  A.  Stone,  to  succeed  Edward  M. 
Perkins;  address,  same.  St.  David  ward,  California  mission,  Wm.  G.  Goodman,  to 
succeed  Crozier  Kimball;  address,  same.  Poplar  Grove  ward,  Pioneer  stake,  Frank 
Stanley,  to  succeed  Carl  A.  Carlson;  address,  U/  West  Eighth  South,  Salt  Lake  City. 
Batesville  ward,  Tooele  stake,  John  C.  Bryan,  to  succeed  Edward  C.  Ekman;  address, 
same. 

New  Ward  Clerks — Ogden  Ninth  ward,  Weber  stake,  C.  J.  Reeder,  to  succeed 
Jos.  K.  Wright,  Jr.;  address,  3153  Porter  Ave.,  Ogden,  Utah.  Topaz  ward,  Pocatello 
stake,  Sister  C.  H.  Maughan,  to  succeed  Lydia  G.  Fullmer;  address,  Dempsey,  P.  O. 
Box  35,  Idaho.  Bingham  ward,  Jordan  stake,  Ray  B.  Allen,  to  succeed  Ida  Waters; 
address,  same.  Milford  ward,  Beaver  stake,  John  A.  Arrington,  to  succeed  Edward 
H.  Bird;  address,  same.  Paragoonah  ward,  Parowan  stake,  Daniel  Stones,  to  succeed 
John  B.  Topham;  address,  same.  West  Point  ward,  Davis  stake,  John  E.  Thurgood, 
to  succeed  Oliver  H.  Bybee;  address,  same.  St.  David  ward,  California  mission, 
Howard  O.  Post;  address,  same.  Annis  ward,  Rigby  stake,  E.  J.  Lewis,  to  succeed 
Caton  W.  Pierce;  address  same.  Menan  ward,  Rigby  stake,  Warden  Jones,  to  succeed 
Chas.  A.  Higginson;  address,  same.  Cokeville  ward,  Bear  Lake  stake,  Sister  Rozetta 
Roberts,  to  succeed  Mrs.  Nora  Collett;  address  Cokeville,  Box  127,  Wyoming.  Clark- 
ston  ward,  Benson  stake,  Alfred  Atkinson,  to  succeed  Chas.  E.  Atkinson;  address, 
same.  Pleasant  Grove  First  ward,  Alpine  stake,  George  H.  Hayes,  to  succeed  Mrs. 
Rose  B.  Hayes;  address,  same.  Twenty-ninth  ward,  Salt  Lake  stake,  Luther  H. 
Twitchell,  to  succeed  John  C.  Lake;  address  369  North  Twelfth  West,  Salt  Lake  City. 

Independence  ward,  Fremont  stake,  change  in  the  bishop's  address,  Chas.  R.  Thom- 
ason,    Thornton,    Idaho. 


UNCLE  SAM'S  GIFT 

PARCELS  POST 


OUR  RECORD 

We  ship  more  goods  by  Parcels  Post  than  any  other  firm  in  this  city. 
WHERE  PACKAGES  GO 

From  Jan.  1st  to  Jan.  15th  we  sent  packages  to  Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  California,  Nevada,  Oregon,  Washington,  Montana,  Idaho, 
Wyoming,  Colorado,  Texas,  Utah,  Tennessee,  Missouri,  Ohio,  New 
York,  Connecticut,  Canada,  Germany,  Samoa,  Honolulu. 

Postage  rates  will  save  you  considerable.  Below  we  give  aver- 
age postage  on  each  pair  of  garments.  In  many  cases  the  postage 
will  be  less. 

WHERE  POSTAGE  IS  LESS  WE  WILL  RETURN  BALANCE 

SPRING  7\NU  SUMMER  GARMENTS 


No.  99A — Fine  weave,  light  weight, 
bleached;  for  warm  weather,  per 
pair,  postpaid  70it 

No.  51K — An  excellent,  close,  fine 
weave,  bleached;  suitable  for 
summer  wear.  Per  pair,  post- 
paid       95^ 

No.  59M — Made  of  mercerized  cot- 
ton, bleached;  very  desirable  for 
warm  weather.  Per  pair.  .$1.42 
Postage  8c  extra  per  pair; 
2  pair  15c. 

No.  52B — Medium  light  weight  for 
spring  and  summer,  bleached. 
Per  pair $1.00 

Postage  8c  extra  per  pair; 
2  pair  15c. 

No.  57 — Medium  light  weight,  un- 
bleached, very  serviceable.  Per 
pair $1.00 

Postage  12c  extra  per  pair; 
2  pair  21c. 


No.  901 — A  well  made,  durable  gar- 
ment, medium  heavy  weave,  un- 
bleached.    Per  pair $1.25 

Postage  14c  extra  per  pair; 
2  pair  23c. 
No.    9B — Bleached,    medium    heavy 
weave,  will  give  excellent  service. 

Per  pair $1.35 

Postage  14c  extra  per  pair; 
2  pair  23c. 
No.  Ill — Heavy  cotton  weave,  tuck 
stitch,    unbleached,    fleeced.      Per 

pair   $1.00 

Postage  14c  extra  per  pair; 

2  pair  23c. 

No.  11B — Unbleached,  double  back, 

heavy   .   $1.25 

Postage  15c  per  pair. 
WOOL  GARMENTS 

No.  500—1-3    wool $1.69 

No.  501—1-2  wool  $2.00 

No.  502—80%    wool $2.50 

By  Parcels  Post,  14c  per  pair; 
2  pair  23c. 


IMPORTANT. — When  ordering  be  sure  to  give  your  bust  and 
height  measurements,  and  your  weight. 

Samples  of  garment  material  gladly  sent  on  request. 
Garments  marked  for  20c  extra  per  pair. 


WEST'S  MAIL  ORDER  HOUSE 


258  SOUTH  STATE  STREET 


SALT  LAKE  CITY 


"We  are  always  glad  to  receive  the  ERA.  It  is  doing  a  good  mis- 
sionary work  here." — John  W.  Mcintosh,  St.  Johns,  Kansas. 

In  the  March  ERA  will  appear  a  story  by  Josephine  Spencer,  and  a  tribute 
to  Orson  P.  Arnold,  by  George  C.  Lambert,  Dr.  Webb's  article,  and  others,  on 
"Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator,"  and  the  usual  variety  of  other  matter. 
Subscribe  today,  only  $2;  you  can  get  back  numbers  yet. 

In  this  number  of  the  ERA  is  found  the  opening  address  given  by  Dr. 
John  A.  Widtsoe  at  the  recent  Inter-National  Dry-Farming  Congress,  at  Leth- 
bridge,  Canada.  It  has  not  before  appeared  in  print,  and  is  of  such  an  illumin- 
ating character,  and  prepared  with  so  much  thought  and  fidelity  on  the  part  of 
Dr.  Widtsoe,  that  it  is  sure  to  prove  of  inestimable  value  to  all  interested.  We 
are  indebted  to  Mr.  Lon  J.  Haddock,  of  the  News  Department  of  the  Utah 
Agricultural  College,  for  a  transcript  of  the  address.  We  thank  Dr.  Widtsoe 
for  permission  to  print  it. 

Improvement  Era,  February,  1913 

Two  Dollars  per  Annum  with  Manual  Free 
Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  as  second  class  matter. 

Joseph  F.  Smith,  {  x?a-  Heber  J.  Grant,  Business  Manager 

Edward  H.  Anderson,    j  Editors     Moroni  Snow,  Assistant 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

The   Latter-day  Saints'   Chapel  at  Sunderland, 

England   Frontispiece 

I'll  Trust  in  Him  Who  Rules  on  High.     Hymn 

with  Music R.  Michelsen 279 

The  Conquest  of  Drouth John  A.Widtsoe,A.M.,Ph.D.  281 

A  Visit  to  Newcastle-on-Tyne.     Illustrated. .  . .    Lydia  D.  Alder 293 

What  Have  We  Done  Today?    A  Poem O.  F.  Ursenbach. 298 

Dryden  on  Salvation  for  the  Dead Claude  T.  Barnes,  M.S.,P,R.  299 

As  We  Journey  Along  the  Road.     A  Poem. . . .   Theodore  E.  Curtis 303 

Little  Problems  of  Married  Life— XVII William   George  Jordan. .  .  304 

I  Would  Not  Know.    A  Poem Bertha  A  Kleinman 309 

War.     A  Poem Grace  Ingles  Frost 310 

"Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Translator" 

A  Plea  in  Bar  of  Final  Conclusions B.   H.  Roberts 309 

The  Book  of  Abraham J.  M.  Sjodahl 326 

Scholars  Disagree   Junius  F.  Wells 341 

Bishop  Spulding's  Jump  in  the  Logical  Pro- 
cess      John  Henry  Evans,  B.  A. . .  343 

"The  Book  of  the  Dead": Levi  Edgar  Young,  M.A.. .  346 

Liberty  of  the  Press — III James  H.  Anderson 349 

Voice  of  the  Intangible — VII Albert   R.  Lyman 354 

Vocation   Joseph  Quinney,  Jr 362 

Department  of  Vocations  and  Industries — VI .  .   B.  H.   Roberts 366 

A  Day  in  the  English  Lakeland.     Illustrated...    Hermon  J.   Wells 368 

A  Glimpse  of  the  Salt  Works Annie  K.  Hardy 374 

The  Ten-Dollar  Bill.    A  Poem Walter  P.  Emmett 375 

Editor's  Table— "Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  as  a  Trans- 
lator"      Joseph  F.  Smith 378 

Messages  from  the  Missions 380 

Priesthood  Quorum's  Table — Elder  George 
Barton  Taylor — Men  Who  Remember  See- 
ing the  Prophet  Joseph 389 

Mutual  Work — A  Slogan  for  Larger  Member- 
ship— February  Class  in  Athletics — Bounti- 
ful  Scout   Banquet— The   Third   Y.   M.    M. 

I.  A.  Normal  Training  Class 390 

Church   School   Department — The    Purpose   of 

Founder's  Day   H.  R.  Merrill 394 

Dr.  George  H.  Brimhall 397 

Passing  Events 398 


,     REMINGTON  AUTOLOADING  8HOTGUN^ONB  OF  BROWNING'S  PATKWTB 

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It  is  the  only  farm  paper  published  in  Utah.   It  will  assist  the  farmers  to 
increase  their  crops.      The  Home  Department  for  the  wife  is  very  helpful 

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CALIFORNIA 


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S  VLT  LAKE  CITY 


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TION TO  DETAILS' 

By  These  each  oper- 
ating employee 
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SEED  AND  NURSERY 
BOOK  FOR  1913 

THIS  is    an  up  to-the-minute    '^uide  book    for 

Flower    Garden.    Lawn,  Vegetable  Garden, 

Orchard  and  Farm.     It  is  brim  full  of  information 

of  interest  to  everyone  with  even  a  foot  of  ground 

to  plant. 

# 
It  also  gives  a  list  of  Incubator,  Brooders  and 

Poultry  Supplies. 

Everyone   interested    is  entitled  to  a    FREE      »-~  - 
COPY  of  this  valuable  book. 

Write  for  it  TODAY,  I 

PORTER=WAL^^  CO. 

Seedsmen,  Nurserymen  and  Florists 
SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 

/  PROTECT!! 

Your  dependent  ones  and  yourself  with  a  policy  in  the 

Beneficial  Life  Insurance  Co.  of  Utah 

A  HOME  COMPANY 

Joseph  F.  Smith,  President  Lorenzo  N.  Stohl,  Vice-Pres.  and  General  Mgr. 

N.  G.  Stringham,  Secretary 

Lead  all  companies  in  Utah  in  amount  of  New  Insurance 
written  during  past  three  years 

HOME  OFFICE,  VERMONT  BUILDING     -     SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 


The  biggest  part  of  the  winter  is 
yet  to  come.  Better  get  a  good  Bob- 
sled or  a  "Cutter"  now,  and  have  a 
full  winter's  use  from  it.  Come  in 
and  see  our  line  today. 

Consolidated  Wagon  &  Machine  Co. 

Utah,  Idaho,  Wyoming  and  Nevada  GEO.  T.  ODELL,  General  Manager 

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